By now, most people understand that hiring a therapist is one of the best ways to care for your mental health. However, it’s also important to find the right therapist – someone qualified to treat your disorders and symptoms who is also a good personality fit.
So how do you go about choosing the right therapist for your needs?
The Profile of a Great Therapist
These are the hallmarks of a great therapist.
- Credentials and qualifications. According to Dr. Sina Saidi, MD, “First and foremost, you need to find someone with appropriate education, credentials, and background. Mental health is a complex area of study, so you should only trust yours to someone who has studied and practiced it for many, many years.” This can help you filter out many therapeutic service options, as well as some individuals marketing themselves as mental health professionals.
- Areas of specialty. Next, you’ll need to think about the areas of specialty offered by your therapist. Some therapists specialize in treating certain disorders and symptoms, such as PTSD, social anxiety, or eating disorders. Some therapists specialize in certain types of therapy, such as exposure therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. You may not know exactly what you need at first, and that’s okay. But eventually, you should settle with someone who’s qualified to treat your biggest mental health issues.
- Alignment with your goals. Similarly, you’ll need to find someone who’s aligned with your goals. Different therapists have different approaches and are better suited to certain types of initiatives. For example, some therapists are excellent at helping you introspect and better understand your thoughts and feelings. Others excel more in helping you with practical strategies to manage your symptoms on a day-to-day basis. Both are valuable, but one is probably more valuable to you than the other.
- Personality fit. Don’t underestimate the importance of personality fit, either. You need to work with someone you genuinely like and get along with. Otherwise, your sessions are going to be miserable, you probably won’t be as open, and you may not trust their advice – even if it’s genuinely good advice. There’s nothing wrong with not getting along with your therapist, but if this is your situation, you’re better off moving on.
- Real results. After several sessions with a therapist, you should start to see meaningful progress in one form or another. That could mean mitigation of symptoms, a better understanding of yourself, or a happier overall mood. If you don’t see any progress with a therapist after many sessions, or if your symptoms get any worse, you’ll need to find someone else.
Finding the Right Fit
So how do you go about finding the right therapist for your needs?
- Define your personal goals. Everything starts with you defining your personal goals. What, specifically, are you struggling with? What do you hope to change? What do you hope to achieve? What types of therapists would be best suited for you?
- Search across multiple channels. There are many ways to search for a therapist. You can conduct basic Google searches, search through online directories, or use networking to find qualified candidates. Consider using a variety of methods to broaden your reach and generate a list with the greatest number of options.
- Get referrals. Another great way to find a therapist is to get a referral. Not everyone is explicitly open with their mental health and therapy-related experiences, but if there are people you trust in your life, they may be willing to send you in the direction of someone who was able to help them.
- Do your due diligence. Always do your due diligence before scheduling an appointment. Verify that this therapist’s credentials are legitimate and up to date and read some patient reviews (if available). It will help you get a better sense of who this person is and how they can help.
- Attend a session (or a few). At a certain point, you need to get some real experience with this therapist before you can definitively decide whether they can help you or not. Accordingly, consider scheduling your first appointment, or scheduling a few appointments so you can have more opportunities to talk with them.
- Ask lots of questions. Therapy sessions usually revolve around the therapist asking questions and the patient doing most of the talking. This is a fine thing, especially in later sessions, but early on, you should also be asking lots of questions of your therapist. Ask about their approach, their philosophy, their experience, and how they can help you achieve your specific goals.
- Trust yourself. Remember, a good therapist isn’t just one with lots of experience and good reviews – it’s one who feels like a good fit to you, personally. If you struggle to communicate with this person, if you don’t like the way you feel when entering a new session, or if you just have a funny feeling about this therapist for any reason, trust your gut; cut ties and find a different therapist.
Finding a random, available therapist is easy. Finding a great therapist who fits your goals and personality is often challenging. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few rounds of research and experimentation to find someone truly capable of helping you achieve great results. Keep pushing until you find yourself in a position to get the professional mental health help you need.