KUWAIT: Some psychologists can get caught up in trying to diagnose their patient’s problem with a certain illness without thorough listening sessions, which can worsen the case for both sides. Psychologist Abdullah Waleed AlManea spoke to Kuwait Times about the issue of psychologists jumping into conclusions during therapy sessions, through trying to figure out what is wrong with a patient by following basic diagnosing methods that cannot reach profound and complicated feelings of hurt and trouble.

AlManea said: “Diagnosing patients can sometimes be unhelpful because it can ignore their feelings of pain and distress. Certain psychologists can focus too much on trying to label mental illness in their patients, which can be overwhelming. This focus on diagnosis can take away from the therapy process, turning the complex human mind into a simple checklist of behaviors based on diagnostic rules. This problem often starts with using quick and basic tools to assess patients, like questionnaires, which oversimplify years of struggles into a few easy answers. Giving a diagnosis without truly understanding the patient also adds to this oversimplified approach.”

Abdullah AlManea

AlManea sheds light on the potential drawbacks of overly relying on diagnosing patients, emphasizing how diagnoses can sometimes overlook the emotional experience of pain. The risk of reducing the complexity of the human mind to mere labels and checklists may detract from the essence of the therapeutic process. According to AlManea the solution lies in building a strong and caring bond with the patient, where listening is a deep and active process.

“Not just hearing about the symptoms in diagnostic books, but also picking up on subtle signs like how the patients talk, move, and feel. By paying attention to these details, psychologists can better understand the patient’s pain, avoid misdiagnoses, and effectively address the real issues. This approach doesn’t just help the patient’s future but also protects against other factors that might seem like distress,” he said. Attentive listening is the foundation for ensuring authentic addressing of a patient’s issue.