Choosing a Therapist

You’re in Good Company

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2% of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census data, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.

Although deciding to participate in therapy is quite common, it still takes courage to recognize you have a need for outside help. Keep in mind that the majority of people who seek out counseling are “normal” and just need some help in obtaining a different perspective. Your decision to try therapy is the first step. Finding the right therapist for yourself is a challenge that can intimidate the best of us.

Congratulations on Your Courage

Although deciding to participate in therapy is quite common, it still takes courage to recognize you have a need for outside help. Keep in mind that the majority of people who seek out counseling are “normal” and just need some help in obtaining a different perspective. Your decision to try therapy is the first step. Finding the right therapist for yourself is a challenge that can intimidate the best of us.

Are You Comfortable?

You need to be comfortable with the methods, style and techniques of a therapist you are considering seeing. That doesn’t mean you will never be uncomfortable during the therapy process. Growth and change almost always involve discomfort, and sometimes doing things you would rather not. Try to distinguish between discomfort coming from progress and discomfort coming from a “poor match” between you and the therapist.

What’s Most Important

If any of these three things are missing, you may want to think about finding someone else that suits your style a bit better:

  1. TRUSTING: Ideally you are able to develop a sense of trust with the therapist, so that you can continue through the difficult parts of therapy.
  2. COMPATIBLE: You have a reasonable comfort level with the style, approach and personality of the therapist.
  3. OPEN: You feel able to be open and honest with your therapist.