How to Choose a Suitable Therapist for You

Suitable Therapist: You don’t need to be going through something serious to speak to a therapist. Many people find that talking to a therapist helps them with getting clarity on past events and better dealing with everyday events and stresses. It also provides them with somebody unbiased that they can talk to when it comes to making decisions in their life.

If you feel that you might benefit from speaking to a therapist for any reason, it’s important to find somebody who you feel comfortable with. After all, speaking to a therapist gives you the chance to talk about things that you might not have told anybody else before and could be uncomfortable or upsetting to speak out. But with so many options, picking the right therapist for you can seem quite overwhelming. 

Face-to-Face Or Online?

First of all, narrow your options down by deciding if you want to see your therapist face-to-face or if you would prefer online, telephone, or even text message therapy. Bear in mind that therapy is about much more than the words you say, and it can be harder for some people to get a lot out of phone therapy or text therapy as you cannot see non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language and eye contact throughout the session.

If you want to get therapy remotely, then it’s a good idea to find a therapist who offers video sessions using a program like Zoom. This has become much more popular since the COVID19 pandemic. Check out these Thriveworks reviews to find out more about finding a therapist to speak to either in-person or online. 

Why a Good Match is Important

Many people will recommend their therapists. You may have a friend or family member who sees a therapist and has given you their number or email, because they’ve helped them a lot in the past. However, bear in mind that one therapist might not be effective for everybody. In fact, the work that you do with your therapist is only likely to be effective if you can build a connection with them, which is the basis of the therapeutic relationship.

If you are not sure about your therapist, fearful that they might judge you or just don’t feel very safe in their presence for any reason, then it’s unlikely that you are going to share the things that you might need to in order to get to the root of the things you are experiencing and create positive change. 

Type of Therapy

Another main factor to consider when choosing the right therapist for you is the type of therapy that they offer and what you might need. Not all therapists will be trained in the same kind of counseling methods, and some might focus more heavily on certain issues or mental health disorders compared to others. For example, if you are suffering from anxiety, you might benefit from a therapist who offers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

This is a type of therapy that works to help you determine between rational and irrational thoughts and puts strategies like mindfulness in place to help you manage them better and change the reactions you have to them. On the other hand, if you’re going through a tough time right now at work or are grieving the loss of somebody close to you, a structured, solution-focused type of therapy might not be for you.

You may benefit more from a humanistic approach, where you are simply talking about anything you need to get off your chest while the therapist holds the space for you, listens, and helps you come to your own conclusions with gentle questions and validation. 

Questions to Ask

Once you have an idea of the type of therapist that might work best for you and what kind of therapy you want, it’s a good idea to have some questions ready to ask any potential therapists you contact. Many therapists offer a short consultation where you are able to get to know one another before deciding whether or not to start sessions.

This is mainly for your benefit so that you can ask questions and try to determine if this therapist is a good fit for you. It can also help the therapist determine if you are somebody that they are qualified and experienced enough to work with, or if it’s better to refer you to somebody else who is.

Along with asking questions about things like experience, qualifications, and the type of therapy they offer, use this consultation to consider how you feel about the therapist themselves. Are you comfortable around them? Are they warm, empathetic, and put you at ease? Do you feel that it would be easy for you to build a connection with this person? This will help you decide if they are the right fit for you. 

No matter what you want to cover in therapy, choosing the right therapist for you is important to getting the type of support that you need.