Finding the right therapist is a very individual decision. One person may really like one therapist and feels helped and understood, but you may feel you just don’t “click” with that therapist. There are many ways to choose a professional to work with. Here’s some ideas to consider:
What are the most important factors in finding a therapist?
One of the most important things about finding a therapist is to find someone who you feel comfortable with in a number of ways. You want someone who you have a good rapport with, someone you can open up to about whatever you need and want to talk about. You may be talking about very sensitive topics or things you feel embarrassed about, and you don’t want to feel judged or discouraged from speaking your mind.
If there are details you aren’t ready to address or reveal, that’s fine. A good therapist won’t push you if that’s a firm boundary for you, especially when you’re starting to work together. As time passes, it may be helpful to explore those or to look at why that’s a difficult area. The work of therapy takes time and patience, and you don’t need to feel like everything needs to be resolved or addressed at one time. And, again, if it’s a firm boundary for you, please tell me.
It’s also best if you feel your therapist understands and “gets” you. You want to feel that they are sympathetic to what you’re dealing with and that they accept you.
Next, you want your therapist to help you with whatever your goals are for therapy. For example, you could set a goal to reduce depression or better understanding why you might be having conflicts with your partner at home. You could be looking to change something in your life, reduce symptoms you may be feeling, learn new coping skills, and more.
Ok, so how do I find the therapist who works for me?
A big part of determining if you’ll be comfortable with a therapist is your “gut” feeling about it. Does this person “feel” or “seem” like a good fit with you? You have to trust your own instinct about it to some degree, but there are some concrete things that help people make this decision too:
- One concrete step can be getting a referral from someone you trust – a family member, a good friend, or a trusted doctor or teacher.
- A health insurance provider list is another place to discover a psychologist close to you.
- You can also look online:
- Find a psychologist by zip or city on Psychology Today.
- Capital Area Psychological Association has a directory of professionals in Austin, Texas.
- The National Registry of Health Service Psychologists is another spot to find psychologists with a health psychology and wellness focus.
- A Google search for Austin psychologist is another way to find some options.
- It’s also helpful to think about what type of person you’re comfortable with – male or female? Similar age? Older or younger?
What kind of qualifications should the therapist have?
Many different mental health professionals with different levels of education and training can offer psychotherapy. Some options are: psychologists (PhD or PsyD), psychiatrists (MD or DO), social workers (LMSWs), or counselors (LPCs). You might want to think about your preferences and what your needs are.
Psychologists have at least 5-7 years of intensive education in the art and science of psychotherapy, psychological testing, research, human development and learning. Then, we are trained and supervised by other psychologists in both psychotherapy and psychological testing. Speaking of my own experience, I was supervised by another psychologist on a part-time basis for four years and full-time for one year before graduation. I was also supervised full-time for one year after graduation (for my “post-doctoral” fellowship). Some psychologists also have advanced training in certain types of therapy. For example, I completed a two-year intensive program in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
How to research a therapist
By now, you may have a list of psychotherapists you’re considering. The next step is to do a little advanced research on each before you get in touch with them. Have you looked at their website to learn more about them or read their profile if you looked them up on a referral site? You can also look them up on LinkedIn to learn more about their background and experience. Lastly, you can look up their license through the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council which oversees licensure for psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors.
From this research, you may have a few questions you’d like to ask. Now that you’ve done your research, you can get in touch to get your questions answered.
So, what’s the next step?
One way to find out if a therapist is a good fit for you and someone you’d be comfortable with is to have an initial meeting or a phone conversation with them. Make sure you have your list of questions ready, and then you can reach out and find the psychologist or other psychotherapist to work with you. If travel is a barrier, you can also ask if your therapist can meet via telehealth or video call.
Get in touch
Blaine Carr, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist located in Northwest Austin and is accepting new patients. Learn more about his background and psychotherapy approach. He offers 15 minute appointments for new patients who have questions and want to get acquainted. Contact him at 512-627-3583 to set up an appointment.
