Personal and professional challenges require constant adaptations and updates of therapists’ skills. How important is flexibility to grow internationally? Take a look!
What is flexibility?
According to the dictionary, the word flexibility means something which is flexible, malleable, implies a certain ease and lightness of movement, agility, elasticity and elegance. Thus, flexibility is an ability to deal with the various daily challenges in a light and effective way.
When we come into contact with a new stimulus, our brain will look for information or mental representations in the past, present or future that are related to these stimuli and that allow the person’s brain to be instrumentalized for processing and deciding an action. In this way, some people are conditioned to react in the same way to stimuli and the more they repeat the same behaviors, the more fixed they are on neuronal routes.
Psychological flexibility
Psychological flexibility implies a direct and completely conscious contact with the present moment, without getting carried away by automatic thoughts and emotions, acting in accordance with your own values.
Thus, psychological flexibility is essential to adapt to past, present and future challenges. Therapeutic professionals generally face a series of challenges, often unknown or never faced before, and it is necessary to have resilience and psychological flexibility from these professionals to achieve treatment results.
Psychological inflexibility
Psychological inflexibility, on the other hand, is associated with a number of psychological and behavioral problems, such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety, thought disorders, difficulty in overcoming traumatic experiences, in adapting to chronic medical conditions, in performance. school and work, often leading to Burnout syndrome. In addition, inflexibility is behind stress in individuals who are predisposed to avoid uncomfortable thoughts and feelings when faced with turbulent situations. Coping with these difficulties will depend on the individual’s expansion efforts to suppress unwanted thoughts and feelings that can exacerbate the problem.
Therefore, the therapist needs to be aware of the reasons why he is having difficulties to face some situations, so that he can effectively overcome them.
How important is flexibility for the international therapist?
The international therapist also expands his horizons to the types of cultures and situations he will come into contact with. Flexibility is an essential tool for not being paralyzed in the face of these challenges and for the therapist to see these as opportunities for growth for both the therapist and their clients.
However, it is always important to remember that adaptability and flexibility do not mean letting go or giving up your principles and values to agree with the client or project. Even internationally, professionals must maintain their ethics and their account based on their personal and professional values, adding to the international community based on their own culture and experiences.
How about you, were you interested in being a therapist with an international reach and expanding your skills to new heights? Come with AHDE! Join today and see your career results take off!
References:
DEL PINO, V. & WERLANG, B.S. Flexibilidade mental na resolução de problemas em indivíduos que cumprem pena por homicídio qualificado. Psicol. Reflex. 2008;21(1).
HAYES, S.C. et al. Terapia de aceitação e compromisso: modelo, dados e extensão para prevenção do suicídio. Rev. bras. ter. comport. cogn. 2008;10(1).