How to find a therapist

On this blog I frequently talk about self-care and about things we can do to improve our own health and well-being. But sometimes this is not enough or even possible. In some cases we need outside help from a trained, licensed professional in order to work through problems that seem beyond our control and support us towards a healthier, happier life. 

When to consider therapy?

1. You have problems with a marriage or relationship, a family situation or dealing with losing a job, the death of a loved one, depression, stress or burnout. Especially when you feel an overwhelming and prolonged sense of helplessness and sadness, and your problems do not seem to get better despite your efforts and help from family and friends.

2. Your actions are harmful to yourself or to others; for instance, you are drinking too much alcohol, abusing drugs or becoming overly argumentative and aggressive.

3. You are finding it difficult to carry out everyday activities: for example, you are unable to concentrate on assignments at work, and your job performance is suffering as a result. 

4. You worry excessively, expect the worst or are constantly on edge. Especially when you loose much sleep due to worry.

How to find a therapist:

To find a therapist, ask your physician or other health professionals. Ask family and friends for recommendations. Or search using the Treatment Network, where you can find mental health professionals categorised by subject of specialisation.

Questions to ask:

Once you identify a few therapists who seem appropriate, call them. From this telephone chat you can get a feeling of whether or not the specific therapist will be appropriate for you. Questions you can ask may include:

1. Are you a licensed psychologist/ therapist? How many years have you been practicing?

2. I have been feeling (anxious, tense, depressed, etc.) and I'm having problems (with my job, my marriage, drinking alcohol, sleeping, etc.). What experience do you have helping people with these types of problems?

3. What are your areas of expertise — for example, working with children and families?

4. What kinds of treatments do you use, and have they been proven effective for dealing with my kind of problem or issue?

5. What are your fees? 

6. What types of insurance do you accept? Will you accept direct billing to or payment from my insurance company? Are you affiliated with any managed care organizations?

It is important to remember that it does take time to find a therapist. However, you may also need to meet with several therapists before you find the one that will work best for you.

How will you know if therapy is working?

As you begin therapy, you should establish clear goals with your therapist. Remember, certain goals require more time to reach than others and things sometimes seem to get worse before they get better. You and your therapist should decide at what point you might expect to begin to see progress.

It is a good sign if you begin to feel a sense of relief, and a sense of hope; this indicates that you are getting in touch and you are processing your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. People often feel a wide variety of emotions during therapy. 

Please share in the comments any other tips that I might have missed.

*This post is sponsored by treatmentnetwork.com