| Misconception | Correct Information |
| “I will see the psychologist once and will really feel relieved; everything will be great in an instant.” | Psychological support is a process. Since the formation of problems takes years, we should not forget that it could also take time to reach a solution, that the only goal is not momentary relief, the actual aim is to come up with solutions to our problems and to get our life in order. |
| “It is the psychologist’s job to change me and to make everything correct.” | “It should be my job to make an effort about my own life; I can get my life back in order only if I decide to do so.” |
| A psychologist is someone who we can visit to dump our problems onto and as a result, we will feel relieved all of a sudden. | Psychological support is a professional job that requires expertise. Its only purpose is not to ensure momentary relief. |
| Persons who go to a psychologist are considered to be “crazy”. | You may go to a psychologist for many different issues, including loss, illness, grief, psychological trauma, and everyday problems. The purpose of psychological support is to put our life into order, which we may all require from time to time. |
| “The psychologist will delve into my childhood.” | Past memories could be the source of current problems. However, this could change from person to person. The psychologist does not necessarily have to delve into your childhood. |
| Going to a psychologist will evoke bad memories and harm me. | It might be exhausting in the beginning when talking about events that you believe will evoke bad memories. However, this is necessary to solve your problems and to achieve permanent relief in the long run. |
| A psychologist’s job is to make you forget about bad things. | It is not possible to forget everything. Our intention is not to forget, but to become aware of the effects certain incidents have on us and to make efforts for eliminating those effects. |
| A psychologist reads minds. | It is not possible for someone to know or guess your thoughts without you expressing them. |
| A psychologist sees the future. | Psychologists are not psychic. They do not have magical powers. |
| A psychologist practices hypnosis. | Hypnosis is not a technique that is used today to treat mental health problems. |
| Mental health is not as important as physical health. | Our health is integral. Physical health and mental health are inseparable. A problem experienced in terms of one will spread to the other, and eventually will have a completely negative impact on our health. |
| “Mental health services are too expensive; I won’t be able to access them even if I want to.” | As part of the universal health insurance, services offered by psychologists working in public healthcare institutions and by psychologists in non-governmental organizations are free of charge. There are also psychologists who offer service in private clinics as part of their pro bono quota. |
| The greatest cause of psychological health problems is financial difficulties. | Although financial difficulties may cause health problems by increasing the level of stress and anxiety, they cannot be considered as the only or greatest cause of these problems. |
| People with mental health problems cannot recover. | Depending on the extent of the health problem, recovery is possible, sometimes with the use of medication, sometimes with psychological support, and sometimes with the use of these two methods together. |
| Persons with mental health problems should not be spoken to; they should be left to themselves. | On the contrary, social isolation itself could lead to mental health problems. Close ties and sincere human relationships are healing. |
| Persons with mental health problems must not get married; if they do, their children will experience the same problems. | Mental health problems are not hereditary. They could be eliminated with the necessary treatment. |
| Mental health problems are only seen in adults. | Mental health problems could emerge in all stages of life in different forms regardless of age. |
