Finding a therapist

Are you feeling stuck in a situation in your life where you haven’t been able to make the changes you want? Do you need some help finding a new perspective? Therapy can help you understand yourself and your current situation more clearly. It can help as you make changes to support the life you want to live. Finding a therapist can be a daunting experience. Research suggests that the relationship you have with your therapist is just as significant as the actual techniques used in therapy. Finding someone you feel comfortable with is important. You can ask friends or family members that you trust for names of therapists that they recommend as a way to start building your list. If you have insurance, you can also ask for a list of names of therapists who are on your plan’s provider list. You can also search online. Once you have some names, start making phone calls to the people on your list. You might need to leave a message, so give some times that are good for calling you back. When you talk to potential therapists on the phone, you can ask about their experience working with your type of problem, their approach, and see how you feel during the conversation. Also ask questions about fees and insurance, and see if their schedule works with yours. When you find someone that feels like a good fit, schedule an appointment. If you meet with someone a few times and feel like you aren’t making progress, bring it up during your appointment. Having a conversation about it can help clarify your goals and help your therapist better understand how to help you. Sometimes, you might need to try someone else until you find the person that you really click with. When I was in graduate school, I worked with a therapist for a period of time. She was wonderful. She was also the third person I saw, after meeting with two other therapists for a few sessions each. So, don’t give up. Finding the right person might take some effort, but it can make a big difference in how you feel about therapy.