While we are critical about whom we let into our personal lives these days, be it the people we surround ourselves with, our friends, or the social platforms we follow, we neglect to invest our time in finding a therapist with whom we feel attuned. Attaining a balance of comfort and empathy with your therapist, where you can be vulnerable without being judged, is necessary for an open and honest session and a fruitful resolution.
Looking for the key attributes of how to find a perfect therapist for yourself? Keep reading!
The Benefits of Seeking Help for Your Mental Health
Investing in your mental well-being often takes a backseat in today’s fast-paced life. However, taking a step forward towards therapy, whatever your target motive might be, is the most rewarding way to understand the stemming of many problems and how effectively you resolve them in your day-to-day life.
Have you recently been experiencing a lack of concentration, a presence of mind, or a streak of stagnant creativity? Decoding what we usually conclude as ‘stress’ these days and processing it with professional help to lead a healthy life is becoming increasingly crucial. Although adopting change can be difficult, mindfully incorporating learning about what we are and how we handle problems can help us attain improved concentration, enhanced creativity, increased productivity, and better performance. Even if your goal is to unwind, process, or have clarity on a present issue in your personal or professional life, considering therapy can help you lead an overall healthy life.
Often, questions asked during a session to improve one’s mental health, resolve relationship troubles, or recover from trauma can be nerve-wracking. But finding the right therapist who can understand, resolve and work with you is highly rewarding.
Importance of Finding the Right Provider
The crux of seeking help through therapy is effective communication, trust, mutual respect, and, most importantly, one who understands and appreciates diversity. The right provider is one without any prejudice overtaking their professional work. One who can provide a safe, non-judgmental space to talk about psychological distress and is qualified to provide support in insightful, knowledgeable, empathic, and empowering ways.
Taking the time to research and connect with your therapist is crucial to the experience you’re going to have. The right provider demonstrates integrity by providing structure, consistency, and safety in the counseling experience. To set the healing process in motion, investing in this is assuredly worthwhile!
Here are some ways to kickstart your journey to connect with the right provider.
1. Ask a Friend or Loved One
Starting the search through a friend’s recommendation doubles the chances of stumbling upon the right therapist for you compared to that from a random source. The logic is simple: your close ones know you and have spent adequate time with you to help determine the kind of therapist you might be comfortable with. However, it must be your decision at the end of the day. To avoid spiraling into self-doubt because of an incongruous therapeutic alliance, you must consider the motive and goal of your visitation to that of your friend.
Often people discontinue therapy after a brief series of sessions because sometimes we are impatient to reach the ultimate resolution quickly. You might want to look into these three aspects before zeroing down on your potential therapist for a smooth experience:
- Gender: Would you feel more comfortable with a man, woman, or nonbinary person?
- Age: Do you want to work with someone older, younger, or around your age?
- Religion: Does it matter to you if the therapist has a particular religious affiliation?
Once you’ve tracked these down, it is time to jump to the next step.
2. Look at Online Reviews
The internet is the most time-efficient way to find the right therapist in a few clicks! Looking up your potential therapist online enables you to access various varied feedback and reviews. Sparing ten minutes to look for relevant keywords while surfing a particular specialist will solidify your choice. Do make sure to check the reviews from credible sources. If the specialist has responded to the patient’s experience, it tells how mindful and serious they are of their feedback and willing to be flexible according to their clients.
3. Find Resources Within Your Community
Depending on your community’s outreach, they might have resources for you to benefit from. Some institutes provide counseling centers at the school level for students to discuss academic or personal issues. If your current state of mind is disrupting your performance at school, reaching out for help within your institution can be beneficial to curb it. With the help of these centers and the right tools and guidance, you might be able to get back on track faster than you anticipated.
If you are a working professional with limited hours, your Human Resources team might offer a list of therapists available through a workplace wellness or employee assistance program. If you’re a woman who needs counseling related to domestic or sexual abuse, connect with your local Self-Help-Groups, and they might be able to put you through individual therapy counseling.
4. Research Your Specific Condition
Before getting on the bandwagon of therapy, you might want to research your level with the kind of assistance you’re seeking. Searching for your specific condition will streamline your best-fit options and help you find a specialized therapist near you. In India, there are dedicated organizations that target specific requirements like recuperating from eating disorders, anger management, PTSD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.
Further, doing prior research if you require medication or just counseling sessions out of therapy will help you find the right psychologist or a psychiatrist and save up a lot of time and effort later. A starting point to look for a therapist to help with a specific mental health condition can be achieved through a national association, network, or helpline numbers provided over the internet.
Based on your search, you can decide whether a psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist would be most suitable for you. There are different methods of psychotherapy that psychiatrists can offer. They are characterized by a close working partnership between therapist and patient. Patients learn about themselves by exploring their interactions in the therapeutic relationship. These are widely categorized as behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, humanistic therapy, and integrative or holistic therapy.
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5. Consider Your Long-Term Goals
Many seek counseling because they have identified specific goals or issues they wish to work on. Others may be encouraged by family, friends, or medical professionals to seek help. Whatever the driving force behind your specific target, being transparent with your long-term goals in therapy is pertinent to tracing and embracing the right direction you’re headed. Being open with your goals is one of the first conversations you can have with your therapist. Make sure you and your therapist work together toward the same goals to improve your outlook. For instance, if you think some medication may aid you with your symptoms, you’ll want to locate a psychiatrist or practitioner who can prescribe medications.
Of course, you will often unlock the arenas of your life which might make you feel overwhelmed. But if your aim is set and clear since the beginning, you will come around each time you find yourself circling back into doubt. However, your goals may change as you work with a therapist. Be candid about having that conversation with your therapist about changing the direction of your treatment plan as you evolve.
6. Try Teletherapy Versus Traditional Counselling
Now that you have established your specific goals, the next step is to consider which mode of therapy you prefer. For some people, digital therapy platforms are considered to be convenient and more affordable than in-person therapy. Some sources have shown that therapy conducted over video chat can be just as effective as in-person therapy.
If you’re more comfortable connecting with a therapist in a familiar environment, like your room, study, or anywhere else, teletherapy can match you with a licensed, accredited therapist you can work with online or via phone. But if you need in-person counseling sessions, the traditional counseling method might be a better fit for you.
7. Ask Plenty of Questions
It is common to forget every question you want to ask when you meet your therapist, whether online, on the phone, or in person. Jot down questions you might want to ask your therapist before delving deep. The key is ensuring you have the information you need to make a good decision. Therapy is meant to be a welcoming and accepting space for all feelings to surface. Find out whether your potential therapist is culturally informed and sensitive to your experiences. If you’ve experienced a hostile environment where a sexist, classist, or casteist therapist has made you doubt your entire experience, asking some pertinent questions beforehand might be helpful.
Here are a few things to notice while talking with your therapist:
- Do you feel seen, heard, and respected during your session?
- Does the therapist interrupt you, or do they intently listen?
- Does the therapist respect your time by being prompt to appointments?
- Does the therapist brush off or invalidate your concerns?
Irrespective of the number of professional accreditations your therapist has, if your feelings of trust and comfort aren’t finding roots, you can rethink your choice of therapist. Remember, your progress is the top priority. Often when in a vulnerable position, you might not be able to distinguish if you are personally attacked or if this is part of the professional interrogation. Draw a foundational boundary to acceptable behavior and any triggering points beforehand. If you still find your therapist treading on them without concern, it is time to switch to the one who can help you without prejudice or judgment.
8. Be Honest
Therapy is about finding solutions, overcoming trauma, and finding answers to unresolved instances to lead a healthy and balanced life. When you have invested in doing your primary research on what kind of assistance you require, the right fit for you, and the mode you’re most comfortable taking sessions in, it is upon you to drive your sessions with how honest you are with your therapist. Of course, therapy can be uncomfortable at times, but once you’ve established a strong and genuine bond with your therapist, have set clear goals together, and are committed to the process, nobody can stop you from achieving your goals and resolving your symptoms.
Quick Signs Indicating That You May Have Found A Match
Here is a brief takeaway indicating that you may have found the right therapist for yourself.
- Active listeners: A good therapist signals that they’re not only taking in your words but also understanding them. A good indication is when they use nonverbal signs of listening, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and posture. In the end, if you find them summarizing or reflecting on what you’ve said or asking for clarification, it is often a positive indication of the active listener in a therapist.
- Offer a sense of validation: When they acknowledge and there’s an acceptance of your truth without any judgment. A good therapist avoids making value judgments about what you think, say, or do.
- Offer varied solutions: Everyone’s issues, coping mechanisms, and how they process things are different. Accordingly, the solutions offered by the therapist must cater to the benefit of their specific clients. If you don’t feel a change from a single treatment being provided to you and your therapist is resistant to adopting newer techniques, it is a possibility that there is still a gap of understanding between you too.
- Mindful of your identity: Finding an empathetic therapist without any prejudices can be difficult. So, people usually prefer therapists who identify the same as them to have a more comfortable rapport. Nevertheless, a good therapist will try to understand where you’re coming from, even though they do not identify as the same, to better understand your experiences and how you respond to different emotions. Consequently, they might adopt or avoid treatments to suit your background.
Get Started With DocVita Today!
So, if you’re ready to embark on this journey, try putting your trust in Docvita.
DocVita is India’s largest online clinic on WhatsApp. With DocVita, you can book appointments and enroll in treatments with the top doctors and mental health professionals.
Our qualified therapists can provide solutions for issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship problems, and more. Avail of premium care and thrive in your personal growth with greater ease and flexibility.