Search and Find the Best Psychologist in Dubai

Search and find the “best psychologist in Dubai”

You have been living in Dubai for years or just arrived from your home country. After while some people would feel burned out or alienated in the big city. They might develop psychological problems affecting their private and/or professional life such as depression, anxiety, sleeplessness or, burnout. You don’t know what to do and decided to get help looking for a psychologist. Of course, you are searching for the best psychologist in Dubai.

Does the “best psychologist” exist?

First of all, we must clarify that the best psychologist in Dubai, or in any other region in the word, is misleading. A kind of a “Swiss army knife psychologist” who can treat all psychological problems doesn’t exist. There certainly are excellently trained psychologists, whose psychotherapy method and experience will be the most suitable for you, in your area. The challenge is how to select the best psychologist for you and your condition.

Credential of a well-trained psychologist

How do you find the right psychologist in the Dubai “jungle” of different terms and often alien psychotherapy methods? It is good to know that a professional psychologist should have studied at the university and first acquired a bachelor’s and later a master’s degree in psychology. The minimum period to finish the educational requirements in psychology in Western countries takes 5-6 years. Upon graduation a psychologist is still not trained in psychotherapy. The university training only provides the theory of the human brain and its reactions, knowledge about brain physiology, research tools and methods, etc. This means that a fresh graduate in psychology has not treated a single patient, yet.

Is a psychologist a psychotherapist?

Psychologists who want to work with patients as psychotherapists must participate in the postgraduate training in psychotherapy. In Europe and United States, such training takes between 4 to 5 years. The training in psychotherapy consists of blocks of theory and hundreds of hours of supervised psychotherapy. During the postgraduate training, the psychologist does psychotherapy under constant supervision of an experienced and certified older colleague. After such intense training, the candidate must pass board exams before getting the authorization to treat patients independently. So, we are speaking of at least about 10 years of in-depth education and training consisting of psychology degrees and by postgraduate training in psychotherapy.

Difficulties in finding well-trained psychologist in Dubai

Dubai is a multicultural place and has attracted psychologists from all around the world. Many of whom would not fulfil the criteria required in Europe or the US to practice independently as psychotherapists or counsellors. Licensed, professional psychologists in Dubai that have a western education have earned advanced degrees and met the requirements of supervised work experience. They have the knowledge and experience to diagnose mental illness, offer mental healthcare services, marital and family counseling, and make referrals for psychiatric services.

It is useful to understand that there are healers, gurus, life coaches, and hypnotists that offer their services in Dubai, but they are practicing without a license. Simply put, they do not have any state-mandated educational requirements, nor supervised work experience. These are unregulated and unlicensed professions. Life coaches on average complete 60 to 90 hours of training, which can be accomplished in one to two weeks. People can even get “diplomas” from unaccredited unauthorized “weekend schools”.

Criteria for finding the right psychologist

The below criteria provide a guideline helping you to find the right psychotherapist for your unique needs. The term “counselling” is often used as the synonym for psychotherapy.

What to look for when finding the best and trustworthy psychologist in Dubai

• A psychology degree from an accredited university
• A master’s degree, better a PhD, in psychology
• Postgraduate training in psychotherapy
• A Dubai psychologist or counsellor license
• Experience with and knowledge of my condition
• Years of practice
• Personal connection upon meeting

How to find the best psychotherapy method for my problem?

Your mental health provider can give the answer to this question after an in-depth psychological evaluation. A well-trained psychologist can advise you what would be the best course of action and which method to choose. You will find that an experienced psychotherapist will draw on many schools of thought and treatment methods putting you at the center of each session.

What to expect when meeting the psychologist

• The psychologist will first identify your problem which requires at least one hour session.
• Then she will explain the strengths and weaknesses of different treatment approaches.
• She will suggest what method of psychotherapy will be the most appropriate for you.
• In general, there are three major psychotherapy branches: behavioral psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy.
• The psychologist will find out if she is trained in the psychotherapy method suitable for you.
• In case she would decide that another treatment method is more appropriate for your condition she will refer you to the specialist that meets your needs.

If you and your psychologist is a good match, she will give you details about your therapy

• Detailed treatment approach of the psychotherapy method
• The chances of therapy being successful
• Approximate treatment duration
• Most suitable frequency of sessions
• How much the session costs and what will be the estimated costs for the entire treatment.
• Discuss insurance