How do I choose the best therapist?
You’ve decided you’re ready to start therapy. We’re glad you’re here. One of the hardest things to figure out while you are searching for a therapist is determining if you and your therapist are a good fit. Research is not always clear in telling us which styles of therapy work best for which people. But one thing is consistent; the therapeutic relationship - the one between the therapist and you, the client - is perhaps the most important factor in determining success in therapy.
When you find a therapist who you feel like could be a good fit for you and set up an initial consultation, make sure you:
Know what worked for you (or didn’t work) with previous therapists
Ask about the therapist’s style and how they help their clients (CBT? Attachment-based? Trauma-focused?)
Learn more about the types of people they work with and why
Finally, I encourage you to go into any initial consultation or therapy session with an open mind. You may not know exactly why you connect with one therapist over another, but that’s ok. Success in therapy isn’t just about the therapist’s knowledge or skill-set, it’s also about their personality, lived experience, and way of looking at the world. All of this contributes to the relationship that you and your therapist will build, and, ultimately, the progress you will make together.