How to Choose the Right Individual Counselor
Of course, there are individual therapists all over, which means finding a counselor is an easy thing. However, getting the right therapist for your situation is the hardest thing. Several therapists are availing different therapy services in the market. You might be seeking marriage counseling services or depression therapist, among others. This means there are several services available for different people.
One must, therefore, consider certain factors before they settle for a given therapist. This article guides you on what you should know about the therapist before you settle for their services.
Know the kind of therapy you are looking for. This is important because a depression therapist cannot work well for the people seeking marriage counseling services. You should, therefore, know what you are looking for before you start the search for a therapist. Your primary doctor can advise you well on the kind of therapy suitable for your current situation. These steps narrow your search hence making it easy to assess the capability of the few therapists who can avail these services.
Schedule meeting with three or four therapists you have settled for. Having a face-to-face conversation with the therapist allows you to see whether you can work with them comfortably. You should feel safe with your therapist, and there should be a connection with the therapist as it is the only way you can open up to them hence get the services suited for your situation. You should never force yourself to the counselors you dislike as it will be hard to work with them. The counselor must have excellent communication skills and create an accommodating environment for the clients to feel comfortable working with them.
Ask about the approaches used by the counselor to help their clients. Of course, various counselors have different philosophies, which they believe in and thus apply multiple measures to help their clients recover from any form of depression or anxiety. A reliable therapist should adhere to the elements of good therapy by being humanistic and accepting that humans are born loving and thus compassionately approach them.
Your therapist should have an elaborate plan on how they will help you recover from the situation you are in. Recovering from depression or anxiety is a process and thus involves various activities in each step. An experienced counselor has a road map on how your treatment plan will be from the beginning to the end therapy.
Check the reputation of the counselor. Counseling therapies involves disclosing various personal things. Your counselor must not tell anyone about your personal life. You must, therefore, go for a trustworthy and disciplined therapist. It is, therefore, advisable to ask around for references. You relatives or workmates might have had an experience with the therapist and thus knows the pros and cons of working with them. A principled therapist has a good reputation and can be relied upon for quality therapist services.
Ask about the therapy schedules and programs for your situation. It should be scheduled at a time when you are available for the services.