5 Tips for Finding a Therapist
5 Tips for Finding a Therapist
Congratulations on making the decision to go see a therapist to work out some of your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that may be causing problems in your daily life! Know that there isn’t any shame in seeking professional help. After all, we can’t solve all our problems by ourselves, and we all need help from time to time. Just as we seek doctors to address problems with our eyes, teeth, joints, skin, and bodies, there are licensed professionals to help us with our minds.
While there are many different kinds of clinicians, most have similar educational requirements, have a master’s degree, had to be under the supervision of a more experienced clinician for a certain period of time, and passed a state board exam. Differences really involve the type of mental illnesses, client populations, and issues that they treat.
Review these tips to make your search a little easier.
Know your “why”
People attend therapy for a variety of reasons such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma, abuse, low self-esteem, anger, stress, parent-child conflict, work problems, difficulty in relationships, and to improve sense of self. Write a list of the things that you have been struggling with and what you want to address in therapy. Then look for a therapist who has experience working with clients with these same challenges. For instance, if you are having marital problems, you may want to look for a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or a clinician with experience providing couple’s counseling. If you are questioning your sexuality or want help coming out to friends and loved ones, there are therapists who work specifically with the LGBTQ population. Most therapists specialize in certain areas and may have a special population with whom they work with. So, make sure you are doing your due diligence to check out a therapist’s specialties or niche to make sure they have experience in that area.
Race, Gender, and Age
A major part of therapy being successful is the therapeutic relationship between the client and therapist. This involves feeling that you can trust and respect them, be honest and emotionally vulnerable, healthy boundaries have been set, and he/she provides feedback that is helpful. What image comes to mind when you think of who you may be most comfortable with? Is it a male or female? Does race and/or ethnicity matter? What about age? If you have been abused by men in your life, you may not feel comfortable discussing this with a male therapist. If you have experienced race-based trauma, will you feel comfortable with a therapist of the same race as your offenders? Age can make a difference as well, due to people wanting to feel that their therapist has enough life experience to understand what they are going through. Keep in mind that if you are an older client, it doesn’t mean that a younger clinician won’t be effective. They may specialize in working with older adults and seniors. Again, this is all about your comfort level to ensure that there aren’t any barriers to you being able to freely discuss what’s really going on.
Teletherapy or In-person?
In-person sessions are most commonly used and provide for a more intimate setting, are free from distractions, and involve more face to face interaction with your therapist. Going to see a therapist in person typically requires going to an office and sitting on a couch (no, you don’t have to lay down, lol) with a warm, calm, and inviting atmosphere.
However, advancements in technology have made therapy available through your phone, tablet, or computer. Teletherapy is online therapy, and can benefit those who:
· may have a busy schedule
· may not have reliable transportation
· may be unable to take time off work to drive to the therapist’s office
· may seek a therapist that is in a different city or state than where they live
If you choose teletherapy, having Internet connection is required, you may need to download a certain app, you will want to make sure the site is HIPAA compliant, and ensure that you have privacy when you log on for your sessions to protect your confidentiality (having your online session at Starbucks probably won’t be a good idea).
Personal Referrals, EAP, and Online Directories
Not sure where to start to look for a therapist? Ask friends, family members, neighbors, church members, or your doctor for anyone that they would recommend. If you have insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare, you can call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card to request a list of therapists and find out if you have behavioral health coverage. Another option is to go online to your provider’s website, click on Find a Doctor, and enter your information regarding the type of therapist being sought, your zip code area, and any specialties. A list of therapists in your area should appear with a brief description, contact information, and whether they are accepting new clients.
Many companies also have EAP (Employee Assistance Program), which is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow up services for employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. EAPs are offered through a third party and can’t discuss anything that you say in therapy to anyone at you place of employment.
Check out the below list of websites who also have online therapy directories.
· www.therapyforblackgirls.com
· www.melaninandmentalhealth.com
Don’t let the past repeat itself
If you have been in therapy before and you didn’t find it helpful, take some time to figure out the reasons why to increase the chances of this time being more beneficial. Evaluate your previous experience and ask yourself the following questions?
· Did you connect with the therapist? Why or why not?
· What was the reason for terminating sessions?
· Were you really ready to discuss your issues?
· Were you intentional about consistently following through with suggested coping skills, homework assignments, books to read, or any other of your therapist’s recommendations?
· What were the barriers for success? Time, commitment, money?
· Were you forced to attend sessions (ultimatum by family or significant other, court-ordered, etc.), as opposed to going voluntarily?
· How did your past experience with therapy shape your current thoughts about the profession?
Keep in mind that you may have to shop around a little bit to find the therapist who best fits you and meets your needs, but it doesn’t mean that you should give up. Just as you may have had a bad experience with a particular dentist, surgeon, family doctor, etc. it likely doesn’t result in you refusing to seek medical attention ever again.