Helping You Find a Therapist Suitable to Your Needs
If you are dealing with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, or distressing behavior, you may need the help of a mental health professional. Counseling has been shown to help adults and children alike in dealing with emotional stress and distress. However, in order for counseling to be successful, you need to find the right Orange County counselor to assist you with that. There are so many different therapists out there that it may be slightly overwhelming to find the right one. And when you are already under mental stress, the last thing you want to do is feel overwhelmed.
You have to make sure that the therapy is non-judgmental and that it takes place in a supportive environment. The goal is to promote health and allow someone to be the best they can be. Finding a good therapist is a personal decision and even the best therapist may not be quite right for you.
You need to take your time to find the one that is right for you. Don’t pick a random one off the internet or out of the Yellow Pages. Rather, do some research and find the one that is right for you. Here are 10 tips to help you along the way.
10 Top Therapist Tips
- Have an open mind when you look around and ask for recommendations. Speak to friends, your medical professional, members of your family etc.
- Only visit licensed therapists if your behavioral and emotional issues are very serious. There are four types of therapists who are licensed, which are the LPCs (licensed professional counselors), clinical social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists.
- Although your therapist will have a preferred clinical approach, they should not force this on you. Your feedback is important and the most important thing is your healing.
- You must feel comfortable and at ease with your therapist. They are responsible for helping you find inner happiness, which means you have to like them as well. If you don’t feel comfortable, you won’t share your thoughts fully either.
- Make sure that your perception of the therapist is as of someone who is an expert and a professional. You need to have faith in their intelligence and experience. And, of course, they have to be respectful of you.
- Your therapist should be supportive of your lifestyle, particularly if it could be classed as ‘alternative’.
- Make sure that your therapist has received the appropriate, accredited training.
- Set yourself some goals in terms of what you want to achieve through counseling. Know why you are looking for help. You may even feel you need different therapists for different stages of your healing process, so be prepared for that.
- Consider location and availability in terms of choosing your therapist.
- You have to be able to afford the payments to your therapist. Most medical insurances do not cover your therapy. However, remember that your ultimate happiness and mental well-being is more important than price.