Interview with Cristina Centeno Soriano, Psychologist and Coach

Today in psychoactive we have the enormous pleasure of interviewing a renowned professional in the field of mental health, as well as in the editorial world for having behind them 8 books that will surely be of interest to our visitors and that we will see in this interview. We talked about Cristina Centeno Soriano. Psychologist.

Hello Cristina, how are you? Thank you very much for your time for this interview.

Moving, David. A pleasure that you have invited me to this "Table Camilla" on mental health in psychoactive.

We start if you think. Since when do you dedicate yourself to psychology?

My first solid work experience was in the field of research at the University and, later, in the world of training and consulting.

After a cooperation experience in Nicaragua, I formally dedicated myself to psychology for 15 years; both from the socio-community intervention and from the clinical field of private consultation.

What prompted you to dedicate yourself professionally to psychology?

I have clearly identified a "diamond" teacher of philosophy that, at age 15 or 16, drove me to dive in my personal strengths and I loved to dedicate myself professionally to psychology.

This positive reference was the acid and the fertilizer for a “search engine - insatiable explorer” seed that already lived in my adolescent psyche.

A restless Cris with too many questions to answer and a clear desire both to unravel the complexity of the human mind and to understand and repair what failed in my direct ecosystem.

Not having dedicated yourself to psychology, what profession would you have dedicated to yourself?

If I had not crossed with this great teacher of philosophy, my frustrated artist, I would tell you that I would have liked to dedicate myself to musicals or improvisation shows, for example. 😉 I have always been quite "novel" and fantasy.

Of course ... landing my most rational facet, I would probably have struck my passion for writing, inquiry and creation, dedicating myself to journalism or advertising, for example.

Where can we find you and what modalities?

For a little over a month, you can find me as “acariate” happy, leading and supporting my “diamond consultants” in my cabinet (face -to -face and online) Decide now and change.

My main modality Accompaniment in recent years, as expatrified in Germany, has been on-line. And this modality (in individual, family and couple psychotherapy format) helped me to explore the dynamics of remote accompaniment to the maximum to break the barriers and reluctance associated with the screen.

That virtuality was normalized in times of pandemic and confinement, and its advantages of comfort, intimacy and extra savings of the times, energies and costs of displacements are clear.

Now that trend is being invested, and I am fortunate to be able to enjoy, more and more, the heat and the closeness of my therapists in Santa Úrsula, in our Face -to -face consultations.

Do you have collaborators on your team?

I have a couple of colleagues in Madrid, with which we share, by videoconference, super productive cases supervisions.

In Germany I had no collaborators in my team, but now, given the overflow of recent months, numbered in my new context, I want to focus on expansion and synergy with the search for collaborators with a related mentality.

Do you offer or have offered a workshop, course, etc ... in your consultation?

In Germany I have been sharing face -to -face workshops with a group of expatriated.

In Tenerife and Madrid I offer, regularly, face -to -face workshops, socio -emotional skills and personal power.

In Online format, Now they are operational Three training programs:

• A specific one of Psychonutrition, To improve the relationship with food, our body and our mirror.
• Another of More well -being in our sunrises To overcome our anguish when awakening.
• And a third workshop Mindfulness To manage the most disturbing thoughts and emotions behind anxiety and depression.

All workshops rely on theoretical-applied content integrated into different video classes in video, exercise sheets in PDF, audio materials and therapeutic monitoring between modules,

Do you remember your first patient? How was your experience?

I remember perfectly the first therapeutic accompaniment I did with a patient who was going through a depressive episode for a couple breakdown.

Surely, that intervention 15 years ago had a lot of margin of improvement. In any case, I assumed my first case with an attitude of great caution, self -criticism and openness to learning.

It was undoubtedly a very enriching experience that strengthened me in something that I love: support and accompany people in the process of decision and change.

How is the current pandemic situation carried in the field of mental health?

I think that, in the field of mental health, the current pandemic situation is carried out with the best possible attitude. 😉

Of rare scripts, rare and unlikely films ... or, in another way, to abnormal pandemic situations, the most logical thing is that there are strange and somewhat mismant emotional responses.

Therapists and therapists have had to face uncertainty and uncomfortable sensations loaded with great fear, discomfort, concern and intense restlessness. We have faced a very challenging scenario that has tested our psychological musculature by having to manage changes or losses (work, economic, family, etc.) A lot of draft in our life project.

And I must tell you that, in general, my patients have surprised me for good throughout the pandemic, deploying skills of resilience: Problem solution strategies, but, especially, of acceptance and commitment to a health reality that is imposed on us.

Mental health professionals are not outside the difficulties, pain and sequences of the pandemic situation ... almost all colleagues agree that our agendas are smoke and that we must make an extra self -care effort to not become secondary victims of sanitary overflow.

We are going to focus now on some issues, although obviously in a limited way for lack of time, what topics in your consultation are more frequent?

In my psychotherapy and coaching consult. If I had to make a ranking with the most common difficulties that my clients share, the result would be something like this:

• Stagnation and professional dissatisfaction, with messages of this type:
  • “I'm not comfortable with my job: I don't like what I do and they don't pay me enough.
  • "I feel that I do not advance, professional or economically".
• Couple crisis, with concerns of this type:
  • "I think I must do something because my partner doesn't give more ..."
  • "I feel that I am on the tightrope and I don't know if I separate".
• Relational difficulties with family, customers, bosses, friends, neighbors, couples, children, etc., With pain of this type:
  • "It costs me horrors say no to people and I know that I have to learn to put more often limits".
  • "I have trouble relating. And that generates, in turn, other difficulties in my life ".
• Difficulties of parenting and overflow by paternity, with messages of this type ..
  • "Phew! Where is the paternity instruction manual? I don't know what is the best way to educate my children and I'm afraid to shit it ”.
• Insecurity, low self -esteem and lack of personal trust:
  • "I know I am right and that I have many arguments in my favor, but I don't know how to ask for a salary climb.".
  • "I am an expert on this subject, but I block me every time I have to give a presentation.".

In my sample of adult patients, and even among my younger patients, I discover how these are the difficulties that are most repeated and that more headaches generate us.

They are difficulties to manage that they shake us all but that, when they become chronicles, they invariably flow into a crisis, that can come to stay a long time. And sometimes forever, when we insist on applying to our starting difficulties, the same erroneous solution attempts, failing again and again, again and again.

Whatever the conflict that we drag from that ranking (we could drag more than one, of course), all these people have a common characteristic: They need to decide and change. They feel that what they did so far served or not for anything. They believe they took the wrong path and need to turn the other side, take a shortcut or circular in the opposite direction.

We have already seen. Although we would talk much more about psychology in your professional day, now I want us to talk about your books ... we would like to know something else.

Scripture is one of my greatest passions: a very organic and natural activity.

I started writing stories, stories and all kinds of short stories when discovering philosophy with 16 years, and since then, I have not stopped ordering a part of external chaos through writing.

I began to collaborate with the Alcalá training publishing house about the care of the caregiver, and they have always given me the freedom that I needed to write about different topics of psychology that fascinate me: socio-emotional skills, sexuality, self-esteem, intervention therapeutics, change management or management of a grieving process, for example.

Whenever I have a free little while between patient and patient, I take the opportunity to investigate and shape my ideas in the form of chapters for books and dissemination articles that I always write from the heart to inspire, help or accompany.

You have participated by writing an article on our website about a film and its psychological analysis that has been about "the good side of things". Why this movie?

Although it is a film that already has its 10 years, I think that its central message does not lose today and reminds us, on the one hand, that the Limits between sanity and mental health problems They are very subtle and, on the other hand, that, for the management of difficulties and problems is in our hand to put the correct glasses (those of "bee") to focus on the good side of the circumstances, the people and ourselves.

It must be said that Cristina, in addition to a psychologist and writer, defines herself as choreographer of decisions and changes. What can you tell us about it?

Actually, I just dance and sing for my mirror: in the intimacy of my bathroom, and I think I do not do it especially well, hahaha, but I want. 😉.

In any case, I love the metaphor of accompanying my “diamond consultants” planning choreographies or juggling with the Management of our elections and our vital novelties. It is something we have to do continuously, because the only constant in life is the choice of alternatives and adaptation to changes (chosen or taxes).

But they are not skills or "choreographies" that formally teach us at school: what criteria do we use to choose our career, our home, our work or our friends?

Do we take into account a short-term vision and immediate gratification of our desires or do we contemplate the formula of 10-10-10?

This approach, for example, implies that any alternative to choose months and 10 years.

This is the type of "choreographies" of choice and change that I like to plan and land with my "therapy" ... at times in the tightrope with their partners, at times crossing a migratory duel or a sentimental breakup, at times without employment and in the process of adapting to a market change, etc.

... because life stains and it is essential to equip us well for the constant and inevitable "tangos" of choice and change.

What relationship are your different professional facets? Why this synergy?

I think that previous facets are compatible with each other and do Diana in my main psychological strengths and my vital purpose, so I try to steal the best professional practice with these basic ingredients (the spirit of learning and research, writing, therapeutic accompaniment and an approach focused on choice and change processes).

You define yourself as a multi -pastie person, a very interesting term, do you think we should the most passion to our life? What advice on it would give us?

Indeed, David .. What would life be without passions?

The first ingredient of my recipe or "choreography" of decision and change is the illusion in all its forms: enthusiasm, motivation, passion or the ability to choose our best attitude, apart from circumstances.

I consider what passion is the energy of the action, the fuel of our muscles, the sacred fire of our behaviors. It is gasoline or engine that can help us turn a dream into an accessible, self -dependent and specific target.

Without passion, it is inevitable to fall into the arms of the apathy. Installed in a passive and apathetic state we would continue to be the spectators/is impaired of our existence.

I think that passion is the best antidote to surf the apathy, that uncomfortable travel companion that boycott us every awakening.

It is essential, therefore, connect with our illusion and our values, define which port we want to get and focus on some main goals. Six is ​​a good number, for example.

I think people should learn to diversify pain, but also the passions and pleasures that we provide in the 6 rooms of our life (work - studies; family; couple; leisure - support network; health and economy).

Reducing our priorities allows us to plan and manage, in the best way, decisions and changes.

Let us clarify and keep in sight, therefore, our values, our reasons, "ours or" ours for what "and connect with the illusion. This is our engine, which will motivate us during the way and what will allow us to defend and remain firm in our choice and in our change.

We can see examples of inspiration, illusion and passion for life, everywhere, as in ..

• Our fifth neighbor, who overcame a covid crossed with his best optimistic attitude.
• Elite athletes or adventurers who decided to go around the world walking like Nacho Deal.
• People with disabilities and a voracious appetite for life, such as Frida Kahlo or Stephen Hawking.
• Gladiators who reinvented after a great trauma or a vital stir, such as Davide Morana.

With his motto (Ampted with hands - strong and happy), and his smile on a flag, you just need to spend a little while listening to the life story of the very young Davide Morana to spread your passion for life for life.

Maybe after seeing Davide's connection with passion, enthusiasm and his spirit of overcoming, you can tattoo that ..

The limits are marked by us and, in many cases, they will only be our mental walls.

Just where our passions and illusions end, your excuses, your barriers, your blockages and your supposed "disabilities" begin, begin ".

In my case, I ran into authentic examples of inspiration in resilience and vital passion in Nicaragua 10 years ago, and, since then, I try to support me in all these references so positive and passionate to put more gasoline to my jogging through the mountain, the yoga , writing, music, cinema or psychology in all its forms.

Well, thank you very much Cristina, this interview has really been very valuable, thank you very much for your attention.

Thanks to you, for facilitating a space to share this beautiful interview on your portal. A hug and see you soon!