How To Find A Therapist
The process of choosing a therapist has a lot in common with how we choose the people we want to be in our lives in general.
For people new to therapy, reading about all the different training models, modalities and credentials can be confusing and overwhelming. Understanding a therapist’s approach or expertise might be important for some, but what’s most essential is having a felt, intuitive sense that this person is the right ‘fit’ for you. This means, you feel like you can be yourself around them; you have a sense of rapport. In fact, for the therapeutic process to work, this sense of connection has to be there.
Research over decades confirms this: the best outcomes from therapy occur when the client feels that the therapist is the right fit for them. What the research also shows is that it’s not a specific approach or intervention that is the primary predictor of effectiveness in therapy; rather, it is the strength of the therapeutic relationships between client and counsellor that determines whether therapy will be effective.
The same goes for couples therapy, family therapy, and sex therapy. Regardless of what issue brings you to therapy, this same principle holds true.
How to start the process of finding a therapist
The best place to start the journey of finding a therapist is to open up a search engine! Start looking at a variety of different counsellor’s websites and profiles. See whose profiles and biographies stand out to you. Do certain counsellors use quotes that move you? Is there something in the way they describe who they are, or their approach, that deeply resonates with you? This will give you an inkling of who you may want to reach out to.
Take your time to research, and then make a list of those who stand out to you the most. When you begin to reach out to them, inquire if they offer a free phone or video consultation (all our counsellors at Resilience Therapy offer free 15-minute consults). Some counsellors call these “feeler calls” since that is precisely what happens here. This is an opportunity for you to get a feel for the person, to assess if you feel comfortable talking to them, and if you feel safer in their presence.
Questions to ask when searching for a therapist
Though the primary objective of a consultation call is to get an intuitive sense of if it’s the right fit, there are also a myriad of questions you might want to ask.
How to know which questions to ask a prospective therapist begins with asking yourself what is important to you. Is it important to you that a therapist has shared identities and experiences to you? Is it important that a therapist have a certain number of years of experience? Is it important that a therapist has specific training or expertise in something you are struggling with? Once you know what’s important for you, that is then your guide for knowing what to ask.
If you want to find a therapist or find a psychologist in Vancouver or Montreal, click here to book a free consultation with any one of the counsellors on our team.