Hello there, friends,
It’s such a hard journey to find the right therapist for counseling; whether you’re looking for individual counseling, couples’ therapy, or family therapy. It can take a while to find the therapist who’s “just right”. Here are a few green flags to be on the lookout for:
- A good therapist will create a space where you feel seen and heard. You should mesh well with your therapist and feel comfortable with them as a person. This person will leave plenty of room for you to talk about what’s on your mind. They will minimally talk about themselves or their own life experience, because therapy is about you. (And actually, our ethics govern our self-disclosure to patients. We ethically self-disclose only when it doesn’t harm you, actively benefits you by sharing, and keeps your interests and well-being as the top priority in the therapeutic relationship.)
- A skilled therapist will be equipped to address your specific needs, whether that’s for a place to vent, assigning homework, and/or challenging you where you need it for growth. Along with this, a skilled therapist will only take you on as a client if they have the full set of tools needed to help your specific situation. They should be open about their training, specializations, and how that pertains to their work with you. I typically share this information on all my therapist profiles online, as well as during our initial consultation call.
- If you are feeling uncomfortable with the speed or the focus of therapy, a good therapist should be responsive to your input and make changes in how they are structuring your therapy sessions. Therapy is about you. You have paid them for their expertise, and therapy should be helpful for you. Ideally, your therapist should have a humble, partner-with-you approach. They will be responsive to your needs to either go faster or slower, and they will regularly check in with how you are feeling with the process of therapy, making adjustments as needed. I tend to check in with clients by asking them how they are feeling in their bodies (calm, tight, antsy, low-energy, serene) and use that to inform how I guide our sessions.
- A good therapist will be clear in goal setting with you. Setting goals with achievable and measurable steps is the expected practice in mental health treatment. You don’t start on a project without a plan, budget, or timeline. Same goes for therapy. Therapy is meant to move you towards your goals, and there should be a clear plan on how that is accomplished. I typically do this on the second session, and will revisit goals at regular intervals and revise them if needed.
There are all kinds of personalities in therapists, whether you are looking for a gentle soul, more of a coach, a cut-and-dry therapist, a personable therapist who burps during your session and jokes around, etc., etc. Therapists are as varied as people are! What’s important is that you find someone who is a good fit for you. Hope these green flags are helpful, and if you’d like to talk about possibly exploring therapy with me, feel free to reach out!
Take care friends,
Rachel
Fox Family Counseling 