How to Choose a Therapist
It may seem silly or too simple, but having someone who likes you, believes in you, and whom you can trust are the most important quality in a therapeutic relationship.
Any good therapist will educate themselves on your culture, including religion, sexual orientation, and any aspects that might be important to your therapy.
Need some more specific guidelines? Here are some things to consider.
What do you need help with?
Specialization is important. What issues do you want to work on?
Does your therapist have a background dealing with the issue you are facing?
If you can set some goals, that is wonderful, but if your goal is to “feel better,” or “not feel stuck,” your therapist can help you figure out what areas you need ot focus on.
There are some questions below to help you narrow down your goals.
Therapeutic modality
Do you prefer a more structured approach, or something less goal-oriented and more discovery-oriented?
There are specific modalities that are more successful with particular issues. Your therapist will be able to guide you in the right direction, but you can do your own research if that will help you feel more comfortable.
Finding a modality that resonates with you is important, and a good therapist will have lots of tools in their kit to find the ones that resonate with you.
Age
Do you want someone younger / older than you?
Gender
What gender do you feel more comfortable sharing details of your life with?
Religion
Is religious affiliation important to you?
Find a therapist who likes you, and who you like.
Trust your gut! After your first consultation, ask yourself:
Do you feel heard, respected, and understood?
Do you feel a sense of connection and trust with the counsellor?
Do you feel comfortable with the therapist?
Feeling Overwhelmed? Too many issues to deal with?
Starting therapy can be difficult if you don’t know exactly what to tackle first. It's ok to have a lot of things going on. That's life, and that’s why you are here.
These are questions that we typically ask our clients to figure out what’s going on and where their priorities lie.
If you can answer one or two of these questions, you are ahead of the game.
If you can’t, that’s ok too. No judgement!
Usually, there is a catalyst or event that happens that spurs people to seek therapy - what was that moment for you?
What are your best hopes from our sessions - what would you like to achieve?
This can be a feeling or a concrete outcome.
What are the top 5 things you want to address in therapy?
What is your biggest block in life? What is stopping you from achieving your goals?
Blocks can be feelings, thoughts, physical situations or a combination
The thing that is most on your mind is _______.
What is the smallest thing you would like to achieve in the session?
What would make the session worthwhile or successful?
