The analysis of the question is an essential tool in the hands of the psychologist, not only because it allows you to understand the patient’s need and his explicit and implicit requests, but also because it constitutes a crucial step in the path of psychological therapy.
This moment represents, in fact, the first step in building a effective therapeutic relationshipand it is essential to define what path the treatment will follow.
The analysis of the question starts from the first contact, when the professional has the first impressions and sensations on the person with whom he can work. In a second moment, the analysis will be duly structured and reformulated on the basis of the treatment and context process.
What is the analysis of the question
The analysis of the question is the process through which the mental health professional explores the reason that has led a person to ask for help, the expectations And needs below that motivate this request. It is not just about listening to the symptoms or problems expressed, but of trying to understand what the person expects from the treatment, what changes he wants to see in his life and how he intends to collaborate in the therapeutic process.
Listening requires sensitivity, empathy and patience to be able to read between the lines of the “question” brought by the patient. The needs not expressly formulated must find the space necessary to emerge as, very often, they are not clear to the patient. During the analysis of the demand, the relationship that lays the foundations for a clear and safe therapeutic alliance on which to design the therapy plan is established.
The interview, which can take place in several sessions, has the aim of understand the patient’s questionthe functioning of the person and the drafting of therapeutic objectives. During the interview, tests can be administered depending on the orientation of the professional and the need raised by the application itself.
Implicit question
A central feature of the analysis of demand in psychology is attention to implicit questionthat is, everything that is not openly expressed by the patient, but who emerges during the clinical interview. Often, the reasons that push to ask for help are not entirely clear even the patient himself.
Sometimes the person can look for a solution to a specific problem, such as anxiety, depression or work stress, but may not be aware of deeper inner conflicts who are influencing his state of well -being.
The psychologist’s ability consists in conducting an interview to understand the question by distinguishing between what the patient asks directly and what could be necessary to obtain significant change. This process is delicate and important, since it determines the direction of the treatment and the construction of the therapeutic contract.
The analysis of demand in clinical practice
The interview with the patient can be structured or freethat is, letting the person express himself freely and talking about what he seems more important at that moment.
In the first case, the advantages for the clinician are those of being able to Take step by step A well -structured analysis on the time line, managing to collect a good number of information. As for the patient, on the other hand, the risk is to feel harnessed in a series of questions in which there is no room for free thoughts and spontaneity.
In the’unstructured interviewif the clinician has a good experience, there is the possibility of collecting a lot of information on the psychological functioning of the person, on defense mechanisms, non -verbal language and coping strategies.
The risk for the professional is to obtain a dispersive interviewwhich can make all the information together. For the patient, however, a free interview could be a double -edged sword. Some people have no problems in speaking and bringing therapeutic material in session, while for others it is necessary to feel guided, especially when it is the first time they have a similar experience.
The analysis of the demand is not only a diagnostic operation, but a moment of co-construction between therapist and patient. The professional must actively involve the person in the process, helping it to reflect on needs, expectations and goals. Through targeted questions, the therapist explores the emotional experience and deep motivations, trying to clarify what the answers that the patient is looking for therapy are.
This participatory approach Not only does it improve the quality of the intervention, but also increases the patient’s motivation, facilitating adherence to the therapeutic path. In addition, it allows you to establish a solid therapeutic alliance from the beginning, based on mutual trust and the sharing of objectives.
Among the instruments Used for the analysis of the application we find:
- clinical interview
- tests and questionnaires
- observation of non -verbal
- Joint reflection with the return of a shared therapeutic plan.
Analysis of demand and theoretical references
The analysis of the demand is a central concept in the clinical psychology and in the consultancy psychology.
The analysis of the demand is based on a systemic-relational vision, in which the patient’s demand is considered not only as a direct request, but also as a product of dynamics and expectations that emerge from the patient-therapist relationship.
The question itself is seen as one joint construction which reflects the methods of thought and needs of both sides. This means that the request brought by the customer does not always collide with the hypothesis of clinical intervention of the therapist.
The meeting between the need for the patient and the clinical “desire” of the psychologist will take place following listening and real understanding of the object brought to therapy, as well as the construction of the therapeutic alliance that will allow the patient to join the psychotherapeutic project.
Sometimes the clinician will have to reduce or change the therapeutic project making itself flexible to change. On other occasions he will have to confront the frustration of not being able to intervene with the desired tools because the patient does not allow it.
Carli, in particular, deepened the operator-client report and defined the concept of analysis of the demand as a complex message that contains information on the internal world of the patient and on his expectations with respect to the psychological intervention.
Initially the question was seen as an entity given, which the therapist accepted and to which he replied. The psychologist’s task was to meet the needs expressed by the patient.
Subsequently, with the emergence of the systemic-relational perspective, the demand was considered a Product of the Reportwhich includes customer expectations and understanding the therapist. This vision implies that the‘analysis of demand is not a static processbut dynamic and co-built.
As the methodology advances, Carli and other authors have introduced the idea of work allianceunderlining that an effective analysis requires a collaboration and a joint construction of the sense of demand between patient and therapist.
The position of the “take over the patient” is interesting and how Carli reverses this concept. Indeed taking charge It provides for a liability of the therapist who raises the patient from any responsibility and participation. It’s like saying: I take care of you.
On the contrary, the active sharing of the person highlights not only the patient’s responsibilities towards therapy, but also the enhancement of his resources and skills.
According to Community Clinical Psychology, the demand is seen how reflection of social and cultural processes. The psychologist explores how individual needs are influenced by the community context.
The psychodynamic approach, on the other hand, highlights how the question can be the result of unconscious processes and how the patient himself can not have awareness complete with one’s own need.
In the cognitive-behavioral approach, the analysis of the demand is aimed at directly understanding the problem and develop targeted interventions to respond to the explicit request of the customer. We act on behavior through positive or negative reinforcements with the aim of modifying the patient’s action and the cognitive aspects that underlie and disturb the person through negative beliefs and dysfunctional perceptions.
At the basis of a personalized path
The analysis of the question in psychology is a complex and dynamic process, which requires the professional to listen, interpret And co-built Together with the patient, a profound understanding of his requests and needs.
It is an essential phase to create a personalized therapeutic path, which takes into account not only the symptoms presented, but also of the deep motivations and implicit expectations of the patient.
