Finding a Good Therapist
In the past 15 years, the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S. has doubled to 25 million. One in four women will suffer from a severe episode of depression, while one in eight men will do the same. With those seeking help from mental illness on the rise, how do individuals know if the therapist they are seeing is the right one?
A friend told me that finding a good counselor is like shopping for a new pair of shoes. "You have to keep trying them on to see how they fit." After talking with several individuals who are in psychotherapy, here are some criteria that I found helpful in determining whether a counselor was right for me.
* Listen up! The therapist listens more than he or she talks. This could be the most important. You'd be amazed to find how many patients feel that their therapist doesn't actual listen to them.
* Open-minded. Several patients felt that their counselor judged them during a session. Feeling judged will only increase low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness. If you feel judged in your session, most likely this isn't the right therapist for you.
* Finding your strengths. One clinician said that therapy is as much about finding what is going well with a person as it is about what is going wrong. By helping you discover your strengths, therapists can help you improve self worth.
* Waiting on medication. A high number of patients say that their therapist prescribes them medication within the first session. Medication is a significant step and not one to be rushed into. Good therapists wait until several interactions with patients to decide on medication.
Whether you're going through a tough time or just feel the need to talk to someone, psychotherapy can be a beneficial experience. Having a therapist you have a positive rapport with can be as important as the psychotherapy itself. So do your research and don't be afraid to shop around before settling on a clinician.
A friend told me that finding a good counselor is like shopping for a new pair of shoes. "You have to keep trying them on to see how they fit." After talking with several individuals who are in psychotherapy, here are some criteria that I found helpful in determining whether a counselor was right for me.
* Listen up! The therapist listens more than he or she talks. This could be the most important. You'd be amazed to find how many patients feel that their therapist doesn't actual listen to them.
* Open-minded. Several patients felt that their counselor judged them during a session. Feeling judged will only increase low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness. If you feel judged in your session, most likely this isn't the right therapist for you.
* Finding your strengths. One clinician said that therapy is as much about finding what is going well with a person as it is about what is going wrong. By helping you discover your strengths, therapists can help you improve self worth.
* Waiting on medication. A high number of patients say that their therapist prescribes them medication within the first session. Medication is a significant step and not one to be rushed into. Good therapists wait until several interactions with patients to decide on medication.
Whether you're going through a tough time or just feel the need to talk to someone, psychotherapy can be a beneficial experience. Having a therapist you have a positive rapport with can be as important as the psychotherapy itself. So do your research and don't be afraid to shop around before settling on a clinician.
Source...