Many types of patients come to the office, depressed, anxious, unmotivated, introverted patients, but there is one of them who has a certain peculiarity, the patient who has been visiting different psychologists for years, because none convinces him.
Kottler (1992) carried out an interesting study around the different names that psychotherapists give to our patients, among which is the patient "barracuda" that is, the difficult patient, resistant to therapy, nonconformist and who literally devours the psychotherapist. They jump from psychologist to psychologist, regardless of the theoretical models they follow, psychoanalysts, cognitive-behavioral, systemic… They are unable to establish therapeutic links and are highly demanding.
They may complain about the tasks that the psychotherapist prescribes, but they may also complain that they talk too much in therapy and need more directive psychologists.
In the case of meeting with more directive psychologists, they also find a "but", since they consider that no one can manage their lives more than themselves. They try to control the therapy or rather, manipulate it according to their interests. They are the patients who make the worst criticisms of their psychologists.
On a professional level, the psychologist can become exhausted, losing interest and being demotivated from the case. Whatever the demand and whatever experience they have, they feel exhausted and in the end, they end up referring the patient, although it is generally the barracuda patient the one who leaves the therapy halfway.
First of all, as psychologists we must have something that was expressly clear in our training: empathy. We must put ourselves in his place and understand the discomfort he currently has and even if it sounds paradoxical, We must understand that discomfort around the jumps that psychologists make repeatedly.
We must listen, that is, what we know as active listening. This will help us to better define the type of personality that our barracuda patient has..
Likewise, we must be clear and concise. Explain our way of working so that in this way, our patient is aware of how we work and is able to decide whether or not we are his psychotherapist. In addition, it is necessary to inform him of the importance of the therapeutic link, since based on that explanation, the barracuda patient you will place your trust in our knowledge and professional practice.
We must be flexible but directing therapy. We cannot fall for their demands. They tend to manipulate therapy, modify time, demand hours of sessions and need us to focus on them. For that reason, it is necessary we have to control the therapy.
Finally, we must have a lot of patience, because we will need it.
Yet No Comments