Abstract

GONZALEZ TORRES, Miguel Ángel. Psychotherapies in the public health care system. From a personal preference to a necessary therapeutic response. Rev. Asoc. Esp. Neuropsiq. [online]. 2019, vol.39, n.136, pp.189-203.  Epub Sep 21, 2020. ISSN 2340-2733.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/s0211-57352019000200010.

Psychotherapies, in plural, are a fundamental therapeutic resource that is often hardly provided in the public health care system. Psychotherapists usually hold dogmatic attitudes that disrupt the spread and implementation of these techniques. A real bio-psycho-social approach and, at the same time, a genuine integrative perspective that embraces the multiple reality of the psychic and the different ways of approaching it are crucial. Health care authorities tend to overlook this issue and there is an amazing lack of interest for the professionals, authorities, patients and, in general, society's part regarding the fact that patients are not being provided with a treatment that is sometimes the only effective intervention known. Self-criticism regarding factors involved in such a worrying situation is required, since some important variables depend on psychotherapists ourselves. The outdated dualist perspective, the lack of awareness of the abundant evidence supporting our practice, the childish narcissism that lies behind little professional differences, and the very fact that professionals may simply opt out of psychotherapy in our clinical practice are aspects that should be seriously reflected upon. Psychotherapies are powerful therapeutic techniques. For this reason, their implementation should not rely on the biographical or training vicissitudes of specific clinicians, but they should be mandatorily provided by mental health professionals. In addition, they involve a specifically human way, dignified and respectful, to establish significant bonds with patients.

Keywords : Psychotherapies; Public health care system; Biopsychosocial approach.

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