Which hospital should I go to for psychological consultation?

Priority is given to the psychology department of a local public mental health hospital, or the clinical psychology department or psychosomatic medicine department of a tertiary general hospital. These two categories are currently the safest choices for psychological counseling in China.

I have been in the psychology industry for almost eight years and have seen too many scammers, so I dare to say this. The admission threshold for consultants in public institutions is very strict. They must either have the qualification of a clinical practitioner, or be a registered psychologist or supervisor in the registration system of the Chinese Psychological Society. The fees are also uniformly approved by the price department, and you will not be coaxed into buying hundreds of thousands of courses of treatment. A girl who works in Internet operations came to me for a referral. She said that she had found a "senior emotional counselor" online and spent more than 30,000 yuan for ten consultations. Each time, the other person would only blame her family of origin and scold her, saying that all her intimacy problems were "lack of love when she was a child and could not be changed." She almost committed suicide. Later, she went to the psychology department of the local Jingwei City and had eight cognitive-behavioral counseling sessions. She was able to communicate with her boyfriend normally, and the total cost was only a little over 1,000 yuan.

Of course, I am not saying that all non-public institutions cannot be selected. Many people do have their own concerns. A teacher who was a teacher told me before he came to visit that he really did not dare to go to District Jingwei because he was afraid that if he met his students' parents, it would be spread that he had "psychological problems" and his work would be affected. ； Some people also complain that public accounts are too difficult to get. Popular consultants have to wait in line for two or three months, and each consultation ends after 50 minutes. Even if you have an emotional breakdown, you have to come back next time. It is indeed a bit less flexible.

If your troubles are only mild workplace infighting, poor parent-child communication, emotional adjustment after a recent breakup, and you do not have persistent insomnia, chest tightness, or uncontrollable thoughts of self-harm, you can also consider a regular private psychiatric clinic, or an institution with registered consultants. However, you must check the qualifications of the consultant first when choosing. Don't believe in the propaganda of "curing depression in seven days" or "helping you get your ex back 100%". Consultants who are really capable do not need to use such gimmicks. To be honest, psychological counseling is like dressing an old wound in your heart. You have to take your time. Anyone who gives you a guarantee right away is most likely a scammer who wants to make quick money.

Oh, by the way, there is another confusing point to mention. If your emotional problems have affected your normal eating, sleeping, work and school, you must first go to a psychiatrist to check whether drug intervention is needed. Many people think that severe depression and anxiety can be solved by relying solely on psychological consultation, but instead delay the treatment opportunity. If you combine medication + consultation, the recovery speed will be much faster.