How to Find the Right Therapist for You

We all need help sometimes. Seeking it is the first step towards making positive changes! Here are some tips to help you find the right kind of therapist for your needs.

Where do I start?

An online search can help you identify therapists in your area. Here are a few more ways:

Ask friends or family members. Personal recommendations can be helpful. Keep in mind that you can’t see your close friend or family member’s therapist yourself (unless you have specifically entered therapy together), due to professional ethics and confidentiality requirements.

Ask someone who is already involved in your health care. Family doctors, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists or other health care providers may be able to refer you to a therapist who could be a good match for your concerns.

Check with professional associations. Some professional associations provide training and certification programs for therapists and maintain directories of credentialed members. These could be general, such as the Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, or specific such as the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation or the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Check larger clinics. If available in your area, a clinic with multiple therapists may offer more choices for a therapist who matches your needs.

What type of therapy is right for me?
Therapists at MindBeacon primarily provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is an evidence-based therapy that is considered the “gold standard” for treating depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, insomnia, substance abuse, eating disorders, health concerns and other issues. CBT is a present-focused treatment that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It tends to be time-limited, where the goal is for you to learn strategies and empower you to practice them in your own life. In this way, you “become your own therapist” over time.

But there are other approaches to therapy and it’s important to know that no one therapy is right for everyone. In fact, what the different approaches have in common may be just as important as the ways in which they differ.

Research tells us that one of the strongest predictors of good outcomes in any therapy is the relationship between the therapist and client. So, your level of comfort with a therapist and his or her style will strongly influence your progress towards your goals.

What should I ask a prospective therapist?
When interviewing or meeting with a prospective therapist, consider asking about:

• Their professional background. What’s their training and what are their specialties?
• Whether the therapist is licenced to practice, and by whom. Licenced mental health professionals include psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists (in some jurisdictions). Having a licence to practice ensures that the therapist has met the standards of training and competence set by their regulatory body, and that there is a process for you to file complaints should you have one.
• The therapist’s experience with the issue you are looking for help with.
• The type of therapy they offer, and what they consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.
• Cost of the sessions and typical frequency of the sessions.
• How you will monitor your progress in therapy, and when you should expect to feel better.
• What to do if you don’t feel better.

How can I tell if it is a good fit?
Some therapists will offer a brief initial phone consultation so that you can ask your questions before booking an appointment. Generally, it takes meeting someone to find out how well you connect with them, and sometimes it takes a few meetings before you have a sense of the fit.

Regardless, don’t be shy to discuss the fit with your therapist! Any good therapist’s primary concern will be getting you the help you need.

Above all, persevere! Therapy should feel safe and collaborative in order for you to get the most out of the experience. If it does not feel like a good fit, consider getting a second opinion or trying someone new.