How to Select a
Therapist
If
you were going to hire a tutor you would
would naturally tend to interview a
variety of possible candidates,
questioning each thoroughly in order to
find the right person. You would want to
find out as much about the individual's
technical skills as you would about their
character. You would also want someone
with whom you feel comfortable. Often,
however, people spend little if any time
shopping around for a qualified
therapist. They mistakenly assume if one
has an advanced degree and a license, he
or she is qualified.
When
you are in the market to hire a
therapist, it is highly important to find
someone who meets your specific personal
requirements for the job. Whereas most
people know what they want in a tutor,
the qualities comprising an effective
therapist may not be as clear. Some of
the characteristics I would look for in a
therapist are suggested below:
CHARACTERISTICS
OF AN EFFECTIVE THERAPIST
- Willingly and
competently answers any of your
questions, especially relative to
his or her objectives and method
of treatment.
- Answers your
questions in a simple and
practical manner.
- Speaks to you as
an equal in a down-to-earth, easy
to understand manner.
- Focuses on goals
and results rather than theories
of how or why the problems began.
- Focuses on the
present, as opposed to the past.
- Teaches
you how to change habits of
thinking and behavior rather than
just analyzing how or why they
came about.
- Often provides
you with assignments or exercises
to work on between visits.
- Is moderate and
reasonable in speech and
appearance.
- Understands and
respects your moral and religious
values.
- Displays
confidence in your ability to
learn how to solve your problems
and in his or her ability to
teach you.
- Has experience in
successfully dealing with your
specific type of problem.
- Generally expects
counseling to be successfully
completed in a few weeks or
months, not years.
FINDING
AN EFFECTIVE THERAPIST
In
order to find a therapist qualified to
assist you, I would encourage you to
interview at least three therapists
before you select one--unless you already
know one who meets your needs. With each
interview you do, you will gain more
knowledge about the variety of therapists
and therapies available; you will then
become a better informed and wiser
consumer. A brief telephone interview is
generally sufficient. If a therapist will
not take five to ten minutes on the phone
to answer your questions, you can
probably rule him or her out right away.
Once you select a therapist, your first
visit will provide you with additional
opportunities to ask questions and to
assess his or her qualifications. If you
are not satisfied with the therapist you
selected, find another one.
POSSIBLE
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- What is your
approach to therapy?
- After providing
the therapist with a brief
statement about your problem,
ask, "How would you go about
helping me solve it?"
- How much
experience and success have you
had in treating my type of
problem?
- How long is it
apt to take to solve my problem?
(Of course, an exact answer is
not possible, but a reasonable
estimate can be expected.)
- What are your
goals when you provide therapy?
- How much emphasis
do you place on the past versus
the present?
- What kind of
things would you expect me to be
doing between our appointments?
- Would you be
supportive of me in my religious
beliefs?
- Last of all, ask
for his or her opinion about any
issue that are important to you
that could be controversial. For
example: whether or not it is
worth trying to save a dying
marriage; whether or not divorce
is a viable option; whether or
not extramarital affairs,
abortion, homosexuality are
acceptable, etc.
Remember:
When you hire a therapist, he or
she is your employee--you are the
boss.
|
|
