Choose The Right Therapist
Therapy is a big decision that can have lots of strong feelings attached to it. You want to choose the right therapist. What does into picking the right therapist? It depends on a few factors.
1. Availability
You want to make sure that the therapist you are wanting to see has time in their schedule and also is currently accepting new clients. This is not always the case. Some therapists have their schedules chalk full and can’t see any new clients for a up to 6 weeks or more.
2. Values Alignment
All therapists have values that either be mostly in line with you or won’t be in line with you. Every therapist handles their own biases differently. This is a good question to ask them how they handle their own biases and if they are even aware they have biases.
3. Licensure
Some therapists are associate level licensees or interns, while others are fully licensed in the state in which they practice. Some clients do not care about this, they just want to see a therapist.
4. Skill level
This is usually numbered in total client hours after receiving their license. I currently have around 5,500 client hours after being fully licensed.
5. Specialty
Therapists usually have a type of client that they meet with usually. It can be individuals, couples, children, etc. This specialty can also be the type of presenting problem like depression, trauma, relationship issues. My specialty is couple conflict, child therapy, and women with postpartum depression. It is good to ask a therapist you might meet with what they have skill in treating.
6 – Personality
Some therapists are very shock and awe, others are more type B personality. Therapy is ultimately about you. You might want to choose a therapist that has excellent bedside manner. I mean, that’s who I would do.
7. Distance
Some therapists only work online via telehealth. Others work at a physical office that you can enter and sit down. Thinking about the distance you are willing to travel to therapy will definitely calculate into who you will choose as a therapist.
8. Cost
Whether paying with insurance or private pay, you will need to decide which one is best for you. Some drawbacks on insurance, you can only meet for one hour with insurance, any additional hours in the same day will be private pay. If you pay out of pocket you are able to meet for longer and not have to worry about the hassle of insurances not accepting the reason or diagnosis that you are struggling with.
9. Modality
Therapists do therapy with a certain theory in mind. Some of these theories may be more applicable to your own personal struggle. It is good to ask the therapist how they approach therapy. I approach therapy via an emotion focused mindset, meaning I help you understand and identify what the underlying emotions are, especially emotions beyond “just anger.”
10. Length of treatment
Some therapists would have you meet with them for years and years. This is not how ethical therapy is supposed to happen in many regards. Outside of therapy with clients who have autism, most therapy will be short in nature, lasting maybe a few months, depending on the severity of the presenting problem. Please ask your therapist about the ballpark estimate of time. Remember, you therapist cannot guarantee exactly how long therapy might take, but they can give you an educated guess.
These are the things to think about when you are looking for a therapist. To be informed is to be armed with the correct knowledge for the correct situation.
Choosing therapy and therapists can feel like navigating a labyrinth.
I currently have availability, so if you are looking for therapy please reach out and we can discuss your needs and find a time that works for you to meet.
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