Have you considered going to therapy, but have yet to pick up the phone? What's stopping you? Are you worried what others might think? Are you wondering if therapy is really for you? Maybe you're trying to decide if spending the money is worth it.
When I scour the web, I read posts from many people looking for therapist referrals. They ask for "good therapists," or "therapists who use Cognitive-Behavioral therapy." If you check out message boards like, Craigslist.org, it's no wonder trying to figure out if there are benefits to therapy. There's so much pessimism about therapy that many people steer away from it.
However, there's good news! Researchers at The Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change (ISTC) and Partners for Change have proven that there is value in therapy. However, the value isn't in the therapist's techniques or what school of thought the therapist works from. The value is inherently in the professional relationship between yourself and the therapist. In fact, the ISTC shows that about 60% of the success of therapy relies on this relationship. If you trust and like your therapist, there is a higher likelihood that you will have a greater level of success in therapy. The other 40% is based on therapist techniques and the therapist's confidence in those techniques.
With this in mind, how do you know if the therapist you're looking for is the "right one" for you? Well, there's no exact science here. There are plenty of outlets to find therapists, including online directories like PsychologyToday.com or state-specific directories like TherapistFinder.com. Read through the bios. Find a couple that "speak" to you.
When you call the therapist, you will probably only get a few minutes to chat with them to discuss the general issues you want to work on, how much it'll cost and set an appointment. If you get a bad "vibe" from the therapist, do not feel obligated to set an appointment. Move on to the next one.
Therapists work differently, so what to expect upon your first visit can vary. You can read more about what you can expect from me here. The therapist should feel comfortable responding to your questions about the therapy process and any expectations you have.
Hopefully this will help you take the leap to making changes in your life. Therapy is a journey and you have the opportunity to make it work for you!
2 comments:
Keep your eye on the content and the quality and I think you will gain readership. Take a look at my blogroll; you will see many quality blogs that you may want to visit. You may have some future readers there.
I have added you to my blogroll.
You posed an excellent questions when commenting on my post today "A Question of Attitude." I wanted to make sure you saw my answer. I think this has the making of another post. My gut response is that at the moment, self preservation plays the key role, even if the thought process that got us there is faulty.
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