The post is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
Seeking out a therapist can be an anxiety-inducing first step toward pursuing the help and support you may need in your life.
However, this step doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems. Finding a therapist who works well with your needs and personal philosophies can be easy with the right steps.
A great deal of this experience can be made a bit less trying if you know what it is you are looking for and where to look.
With these details, finding the perfect therapist for you may be in arm’s reach.
Types Of Therapy
First, know that not all therapy experiences are the same. There are many types of therapy, each with its own philosophy and strong points.
For example, group therapy can be beneficial for people who are looking for community and an opportunity to bond with people who are in, or have been in, a similar situation to them.
If you are artistic or creative, then there are types of therapy that use creative expression to help you heal and communicate.
For example, art therapy uses drawing, painting, and sculpting to help you express difficult emotions or situations.
Narrative therapy helps you re-write the narrative of your life, thus changing the way you look at it and helping you form healthier habits.
Some people like therapy for a specific condition, like anxiety or PTSD. Others even try more experimental techniques, like animal therapy, which involves working with pets, color therapy, or aromatherapy.
Look into the different types of therapy to see if there are any that interest you personally. Everyone is different, so therapy should work with you instead of you having to adapt to it.
On-Site Or Remote?
Some people prefer to speak to a therapist in person. But remember that you also have the option of attending therapy sessions online.
Online therapy gives you the option to have sessions from wherever you want, and some people prefer to speak to a counselor from the privacy of their own home.
Talk To Your Insurance
Your insurance may or may not cover therapists in your area. Remember to consider the financial motivations as well as the personal.
What Are You Looking For?
A helpful first step in seeking out the right therapist for your needs is identifying what those needs are.
Knowing what it is you want to address, what your goals are, and what kind of support you need makes the process of seeking therapy a bit easier.
For example, are you looking to unpack a traumatic event?
Are you wanting to move past grief?
Are you in search of long or short-term therapy?
Do you want to work on your romantic relationships?
Are you trying to mend an estranged friendship?
Would you like to treat a specific mental health condition?
Or would you like to just work on improving your life all around?
These are all possibilities in seeking therapy so it can be important to enter your search with a goal in mind.
Just as well, it can also help to understand what intensity and duration of treatment you are looking for.
Do you need treatment for working through one specific, recent event in your life for a limited amount of time, or would you like to seek treatment to develop better, healthier coping skills for a series of events happening through the course of your life to the present?
As different therapy practices have different goals and terms, setting a timeframe for yourself or lack thereof can help you decide what kind of therapy you want to pursue. You can learn more about finding the right therapist for you with BetterHelp.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
At the end of the day, a therapist’s goal is to help you. This includes making sure you understand what kind of treatment you want and receive, what the objectives of your treatment will be, and how it can help you.
It may feel a bit awkward or intimidating when you first begin, but showing up to therapy can improve the circumstances for everyone:
What kinds of mental health conditions do you treat?
Are there any conditions you don’t treat?
What psychotherapy methods do you use?
What is your cross cultural competency like?
What is your experience like?
How long should I continue therapy?
How can therapy help me?
These are just a couple of the questions you may consider asking your therapist about your treatment.
Asking your therapist questions like these can help you become an informed patient and ideally treatment that is well fitted for your concerns.
If you’re still warming up to bringing your questions to your therapist, you always have the option of looking up your questions and entering your first session with a bit of knowledge in your pocket.
Consider looking some things up like comparisons between DBT, CBT, and mindfulness skills.
While this article exists for educational purposes, the best place to receive mental health information and advice is from a licensed medical or mental health professional.
Not only does being an informed patient make the process easier on you, but it can also make it easier on your therapist as well.
Generally, informed care can make the experience more comfortable, easier to understand, less scary, and maybe even more effective.
Experience
An important factor to consider when choosing a therapist is their experience.
This includes how many years they’ve worked in their field, success rate in treatment, and education.
As well this may include their cultural competency, their experience with your specific concern, their experience with your demographic (students, business professionals, women, men, younger, older, etc.), and their personal philosophy of operation.
The relationship you develop with your therapist can be very confidential and in-depth so it’s important for them to understand you and how you function as a product of your identities.
Establishing a rapport can become easier when you comprehend your therapist’s understanding of who you are.
Conclusions On How To Find The Perfect Therapist
A lot of finding the therapist that is the right fit for you is about understanding your own therapeutic needs: what you’re looking for, for how long, to address what, etc.
It may take a while for you to find exactly who you are looking for, but when you do, you’ll be able to address your concerns and needs in a helpful, therapeutic setting.
Recommended reading:
What Happens In Marriage Therapy? What To Expect
5 Reasons To Consider Individual Therapy For Relationship Issues