How to Find a Therapist That's Right for You
Picking a therapist can be like picking a partner.
Finding a mental health counselor is a vulnerable process. Whether you’re tackling overcoming a specific issue or working toward a goal, therapy opens up personal parts of us that feels more safe and secure— and therefore is usually more productive— when we’ve found a match that is right for us.
Just like finding the right romantic partner, sometimes we have to try a few to find one that feels right for us. Treatment style, personal chemistry, and your individual preferences all come into play when finding a good patient-therapist match.
How to Find a Therapist That's Right for You
Here’s what to look for when choosing a therapist and considering whether your relationship is still a good fit over time.
Are they qualified? Make sure they’re licensed, but also check what forms of therapy they specialize in to see if it aligns with the direction you’d like to take.
Evaluate your level of comfort and trust with the therapist. Do you feel comfortable with your therapist and trust that they have your best interests at heart? Evaluate their responses when you talk and how that makes you feel.
Are they empathetic and understanding toward you? Empathy, understanding and listening are essential traits if you’re planning on getting to a vulnerable place with this person. Tip— consider if you’d want to talk to this person even if they weren’t your therapist.
Personality plays a huge role— check if you’re a match. We all bring our own personalities to the table, so it’s important to make sure you both feel safe being yourself with your therapist— and that you like them on a personal level!
Find your ideal therapy type. Are you looking for a psychoanalysis to dig into mental health issues going back to your childhood? Or do you want to explore cognitive behavioral therapy, with a solutions-based focus, to help you overcome a specific challenge? It can be a good idea to educate yourself on different therapy types and then match those against potential therapists.
Remember even a good therapist-client relationship is still always evolving. Therapy is a process, and like all relationships, the one we have with our therapist will evolve. If the match feels close but not perfect, consider giving it some time to evolve.
Our therapists are ready to work through your struggles and support you in your goals.
At Rob + Katie Truax, we are proud to offer a variety of functional medicine services like chiropractic adjustments, mental health counseling, massage therapy, substance abuse counseling, clinical supplementation, and more to help our patients live long and healthy lives. Make an appointment to visit us soon at our Santa Rosa Beach facility!
