Frequently asked questions about starting therapy

You do not need to be going through an extreme situation to ask for help.

Therapy can be useful when distress persists over time, begins to affect your rest, your relationships, your work or your daily life, or when you feel you keep repeating ways of acting that hurt you.

You can also start simply because you need to understand yourself better, make a decision, or go through a period of change feeling supported.

No.

You may arrive feeling anxiety, sadness, stuck, tired, or with a feeling that is hard to explain. Part of the process is precisely to put things in order, understand what is happening and find words for what you do not yet know how to name.

You do not need a diagnosis or a clear explanation before booking an appointment.

No. You decide what you can share and when.

Trust is built little by little. We do not expect you to arrive and explain your whole story at once, nor to talk about something you do not yet feel ready for.

The therapeutic alliance and the therapeutic relationship are built with time, respect and at your own pace.

The therapist will accompany you so that you can approach what you need to work on, respecting your pace.

No.

The first appointment is for listening to you, understanding what you need and guiding you towards the support that may suit you best.

Afterwards you can decide whether you want to continue with the proposed professional. You do not have to make a final decision before that meeting.

In individual processes for adults, children and adolescents, the first assessment appointment may be carried out by a professional whose role is to understand the situation and guide you towards the therapist on the team who may be the best fit.

We take special care with how children and adolescents come in: the assessment is carried out only with the caregivers, so that the child does not have to go through two different professionals. They will meet directly the therapist who will support them.

In couples therapy, family therapy and neuropsychological assessment there is no prior 25-minute assessment. The process begins directly with the specialist professional.

It means we do not apply a single technique in the same way to everyone.

We work from an integrative model: we do not apply a single technique in the same way to everyone. We combine tools from integrative psychotherapy, clinical psychology and other approaches according to your particular needs.

We bring together different perspectives and tools to understand your story, your relationships, your emotions, your body and the moment in life you are in.

We adapt the process to what you need, without reducing you to a symptom or a diagnosis. Understanding what is happening to you is important, but sometimes we also need to work with what the body feels, with the ways we protect ourselves, and with new experiences within the therapeutic relationship.

If you want to understand our way of supporting people better, you can learn about the Calma de Ser approach.

Therapy is not about receiving instructions, nor about someone else deciding for you.

The professional can help you understand better what you are going through, show you aspects you may not have been able to see, offer you tools and accompany you in weighing up different options.

The aim is for you to make decisions that are more conscious and more consistent with who you are, not to replace your own judgement.

There is no single length that applies to everyone.

It will depend on what you are going through, the goals you agree on and the depth of the work you need to do. Some processes focus on a specific situation, and others need more time because they involve relational patterns, old experiences or deeper wounds.

During therapy you will review together how the process is developing and what you still need.

We usually recommend starting with weekly sessions. This frequency helps build the therapeutic bond, get to know your story and give continuity to the work.

We ask for at least three consecutive weekly sessions before considering moving to fortnightly sessions. This allows a sufficiently solid base to be built so that therapy can be more effective.

As the process advances and settles, you can decide together with your therapist to move to fortnightly and, later, monthly sessions.

In the final stage you can move to what we call satellite mode. At that point, your therapist already knows your story well and can become your reference professional: someone to come back to from time to time when a situation arises that you need to review or be supported with.

The therapeutic bond is an important part of the process.

Sometimes it takes a little time to build trust. But if after the first sessions you feel you cannot connect, that you do not feel understood, or that you need a different kind of support, you can talk about it with your therapist or with the centre.

It is not about forcing you to fit. We can consider with you whether another professional on the team may better suit your needs.

You can meet the Calma de Ser team of professionals and their areas of support.

Yes.

Our centre is in El Masnou, and we have different consulting rooms to see adults, couples, families, children and adolescents.

The in-person space can become a safe space, separate from the demands of everyday life, from which to begin your psychological therapy process.

Yes.

Online therapy keeps the care, presence and depth of the process, as long as you have a private space and a stable connection.

It can be a good option if you live far away, travel often, have difficult schedules or prefer to avoid travelling.

We see adults, adolescents aged 16 and over, and couples online, assessing in each case whether this format is suitable.

The format is always assessed according to the needs of the process; both in-person and online integrative therapy require privacy, continuity and a carefully set frame.

The first session takes place directly with both partners and can last 60 or 90 minutes, depending on the option chosen.

During this meeting we gather both perspectives, get to know the history of the relationship and begin to observe the dynamic that is set off between you.

The therapist does not decide who is right. The focus is on understanding what is happening in the relationship, what patterns repeat and what each person needs in order to communicate, repair or make decisions with more clarity.

If you are looking for support for your relationship, you can learn about couples therapy.

The first assessment appointment takes place only with the mothers, fathers or caregivers. It can be in person or online.

This way we can understand the situation and assign the most suitable professional without the child having to explain what is happening to two different people.

During the process there will be sessions with the child or adolescent and also spaces for the caregivers. The family is not left out of the support, but we protect the privacy and trust the child needs.

As part of therapeutic processes with children and adolescents, we hold one coordination session with the school. If further coordination is needed, we will discuss it with the family beforehand.

If there is a court ruling or a special circumstance that changes this situation, we will need to review the relevant documentation.

If you are looking for care near you, you can learn about our psychology centre in El Masnou.

We are at:

Carrer Fontanills, 15 · 08320 El Masnou, Barcelona

The centre is a few minutes’ walk from Ocata station. There are also parking options in the area.

The price depends on the service, the length of the session and the professional who provides the support.

You can see the session fees before booking.

Before starting the process we will clearly explain the price and the terms of the proposed service.

You can book directly through our online calendar and choose from the available options.

When you make the booking, the first appointment is confirmed and paid. You will then receive a message with all the information you need.

If you do not yet know which format you need, you can start with a first assessment appointment and we will help you find your way.

The first appointment is paid when you book online.

The payment system for subsequent sessions will depend on the service and will be explained before the support begins, so that you know from the start how it works.

If you need to change or cancel an appointment, we ask you to let us know at least 24 hours in advance.

This time allows us to reorganise the calendar and offer the slot to someone else who may need it. Cancellations made outside this period may mean the session is charged, according to the terms agreed at the start.

Yes.

Everything you share during the process is protected by the duty of professional confidentiality.

There are limits when there is a situation of serious risk to the person themselves or to others, or when there is a legal obligation to act. In processes with minors, these limits are clearly explained to both the family and the child or adolescent.