Helpful Guidelines for Choosing the Right Therapist
Is your life turned upside down? Are you suffering through unbearable emotional stress, personally or in a relationship? Are you contemplating the scary prospect of a divorce? Have you begun to hate your job or career and see no way out? Are your kids driving you crazy and you feel like a failure as a parent? Do you have chronic illnesses and seem to live in doctors’ offices? Are you having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Do you have trouble concentrating, getting motivated and feel exhausted?
Life is full of dark potholes, detours and unexpected hardships. It’s often difficult to find your way into the light without the help of a professional. But how do you go about finding the right help? How do you choose a therapist who will be able to help you feel better right away?
All of the helping professionals are referred to as “therapists.” How do you know if the therapist you need should be a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Clinical Social Worker, Marriage Counselor, Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist or Family Therapist? All of these professionals are referred to generically as “therapists.”
In short, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist has earned a Ph.D. (9 or 10 or more years of college training and an internship) where the Clinical Social Worker and Family Therapist or Marriage Counselors are usually Masters level therapists. Psychiatrists are physicians who work primarily with emotional issues that require medication to manage the symptoms.
Always be certain that the therapist you choose is currently licensed in your State, because the titles “Psychotherapist, Counselor and Hypnotherapist,” for example, are not regulated titles and can be used by unlicensed, uneducated people.
Regardless of the education and experience level of the therapist, however, you must also be completely comfortable with that expert, because your comfort level is an essential ingredient in successful therapy.
How Can I Determine My Comfort Level with the Therapist Before I Make an Appointment?
Choose a therapist who is willing to speak with you briefly over the phone before you commit to an appointment. Unfortunately, these people are often few and far between, but when you find a therapist who is willing to speak to you on the phone without cost, you can get a feel for his/her listening skills, sensitivity, and concern. You want to work with a therapist who makes you feel comfortable and safe for you to divulge information that perhaps you haven’t divulged to anyone before.
Experience Level of the Therapist
Find a professional who has treated many people with problems similar to those you face. Often a therapist focuses on specific issues, such as eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, anger management therapy, mood disorders, addictions and other specific issues. That’s another reason why you should interview the therapist on the phone before making an appointment. Don’t be afraid to tell him/her about your issues and candidly ask if she/he has had experience helping people with these issues.
Confidentiality
All therapists have strict ethical guidelines they must follow, including guarding the confidentiality of everything you discuss with them. Before telling your situation to your therapist, be sure to ask her/him what situations could occur where your confidentiality will not be strictly adhered to. For example, every state has confidentiality limiting guidelines regarding child or elder abuse situations, determinations by the therapist that the client is at risk for suicide or legal cases where the client wants the therapist to testify. Ask the important confidentiality questions before telling the therapist your story.
Most competent therapists will give you an informed consent sheet spelling out the limits of confidentiality.
The Therapist’s Treatment Style
Therapists use a variety of methods and orientations. Some use cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, which involves changing your thinking patterns to reduce your stress and resolve specific problems. Some therapists practice styles where they do very little talking and some are very actively involved with the client during the session, providing information, guidance and interpretations. Ask the therapist what his/her orientation is, how they interact with clients during sessions, and be sure that this information matches your wishes.
If you feel comfortable with the therapist’s talking and listening style over the phone, you determine that she/he has the experience to help you with your specific issues, believe that he/she will maintain strict confidentiality of the information you provide, he/she uses a treatment style that suits you and the therapist has appointment times that will accommodate your work/childcare schedule, then go ahead and make that first appointment.
My personal orientation is cognitive, which means I am interested in learning about your present thinking patterns, rather than needing every detail of your childhood in order to help you. Once I learn about those thinking patterns, I employ a variety of techniques to help you modify those that are leading to your unhappiness. In addition, I am a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and most of my clients are thrilled to learn self-hypnosis, which is a powerful tool to eradicate their symptoms.
© 2008