Finding the Right Fit: What to Look for in a Therapist
Starting therapy for the first time is an empowering, yet terrifying, initial step in your journey to your goals. Maybe you’ve noticed that you aren’t as excited about the future, or your fuse is shorter than it’s ever been before. Maybe you can’t focus during class anymore, or you can’t fall asleep because your mind keeps racing. Whatever “it” is, you’re ready for it to change. You pull up Google, type in “therapists near me”, and suddenly, there are hundreds of results. Let’s walk through the information you need to start narrowing your search.
Which Modality is Right for Me?
There are a seemingly infinite number of therapy modalities (i.e., “types”), making it hard to choose the best fit for you – especially if you’re not familiar with what they’re intended to do for you. Let’s look at some of the most common approaches to individual therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most common modalities used by therapists. CBT believes that many of our struggles stem from negative thought patterns that influence our behavior and emotions. By changing those patterns, we hope to improve our daily functioning. This approach has been shown to be especially helpful for anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.
Psychodynamic Therapy focuses on examining our past experiences and unconscious thoughts to understand how they influence our behavior. This approach is helpful for those looking to explore the deeper roots of their being and increase self-awareness.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT, but is targeted to address four main skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT as been shown to be effective for folks with borderline personality disorder, trauma, and general difficulties regulating emotions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used primarily to treat trauma and PTSD. It seeks to improve trauma symptoms by reprocessing distressing memories and reducing their emotional charge. Generally, a therapist must be certified by a professional body to provide EMDR.
Person-Centered Therapy emphasizes clients’ autonomy in therapy sessions by having the client take the lead. With this approach, you are encouraged to direct the session toward what you need or hope to gain through discussion and reflection.
There are many modalities that a therapist may select from while working with clients. Some professionals take an eclectic approach wherein they pull from many modalities to create a more tailored approach to each individual client. Other professionals use a different approach for each client based on their specific needs. During consultation, feel free to ask the therapist which approaches they use and how they might fit with your goals.
Counselors, Therapists, Social Workers: What’s the Difference?
The difference between types of mental health professionals usually comes down to the graduate program they attended, the credentials they hold, and their varying scopes of practice.
Counselors are usually professionals who hold a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field. Counselors can specialize in various fields including school counseling, clinical counseling, career counseling, and rehabilitation counseling – to name a few. In the mental health field, counselors must be licensed with the state regulatory body to provide therapy to clients.
Therapists refers to professionals who have advanced training specific to providing psychotherapy, with most holding either master’s or doctorate degrees in therapy. “Therapist” can refer to psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or used interchangeably with counselor or social worker, so it is important to identify the professional’s specific credentials to understand their training.
Social Workers are professionals who hold a degree in social work. Social workers tend to work within a broader context ranging from providing individual therapy to connecting clients with community resources for assistance. Clinical social workers usually have a master’s degree in social work (MSW) and may pursue additional licensure to offer therapy.
Gender, Age, Culture, and Identity
While narrowing your search, consider if you may be more comfortable working with someone of a specific age, gender, race, or other aspect of identity. Starting therapy is uncomfortable on its own, and you may find that you have to explain less before getting to the heart of the issue when your therapist shares your lived experience.
Yes, it is okay to pick a therapist who looks like you or shares your culture. In fact, it can be incredibly helpful.
The Nitty Gritty of Insurance, Fees, and Availability
Most therapists should clearly define the finer details of their clinical practices including the insurances they accept, the cost of a session, and how often they are available to see you. When searching in databases (like Psychology Today), this information should be listed on each profile. However, you should verify that this information is up to date during your consultation or before scheduling your first session.
Here’s the thing…
Finding the right therapist can be a time-consuming endeavor, especially when looking for the first time. You may even get started with a therapist and find out later that they aren’t the best fit for your journey. As many will tell you, therapists are like shoes – some just don’t fit, some are for special occasions, and some will work for years at a time. It’s important that you try them on before you buy, which is why most therapists will offer a free consultation to answer your questions and identify how they might fit your needs.
Above all else, remember that therapy is a deeply individual and personal process. It is perfectly okay to be picky, get started and change your mind, or ask a million questions in a consultation. Your comfort and trust are the most important to starting your healing journey.
