A How To Guide On Starting Therapy

Therapy has kind of become the new hotness in recent years.

As a mental health counselor, this is great news! I love working with people who are new to therapy and are open to exploring and learning more about themselves!

Now therapy isn’t easy. It’s actually pretty tough work. You have to want to do it. And know that it isn’t a quick way to somehow solve all your problems.

So what exactly is therapy?

Therapy is meeting with a licensed clinician (Mental Health Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, or Psychologist) to understand and better manage distressing behaviors, beliefs, feelings, relationship issues, and/or bodily sensations.

There’s no right or wrong way to see out a licensed clinician and no licensed clinician is better or worse than any other. It totally depends on your preference and particular area of concern. I’ve found, in my own experience, that finding someone who specializes in the area of concern, AND that you can connect with, is usually pretty effective in learning about your concern and how to manage it.

How do you find a therapist?

There are a lot of ways to find a therapist. Psychology Today, Google, through your PCP or health insurance. A lot of my clients tend to find me through my website or Psychology Today.

How do I find the “right” therapist?

This is a tough question because everyone therapist and every individual client is unique. Many therapist will offer free consults, giving you and them the chance to chat and get a vibe check. I often suggest that clients consider “interviewing” the therapist. Ask them about their experience working with clients who have concerns like yours. Pay attention to how it felt talking to them. Sometimes you may not know if a therapist is right for you until after a few sessions of working with them and that’s okay. You can always keep looking. But a gentle reminder, your therapist isn’t your friend and they’re not a ‘yes’ person. They’re there to sometimes challenging you, so consider if you feel that this person can challenge you and push you a bit outside of your comfort zone in a way that feels safe.

Starting therapy can be scary in a lot of ways. Opening up about secrets or past hurts or traumatic experiences isn’t easy. It’s important to look for someone who you think can best support you in your therapy journey. Don’t be afraid to look and keep trying until you find the right fit for you!