Do not underestimate the importance of the relationship between the therapist and client. People seeking therapy should select a psychotherapist with whom they feel comfortable and trust their gut instincts. This is crucial for effective therapy.
What to Expect When Telephoning a Psychotherapist
When calling a therapist, people will often get an answering machine. People should expect their call to be returned within 24 hours. People seeking a therapist should expect to answer questions about the problems they are seeking help with over the phone. Not all therapists are willing to work with all different types of issues. If the therapist can't help he or she should be able to refer the caller to somebody more appropriate.
People should be leery of therapists who rush to make an appointment rather than getting an understanding of what the issues are over the phone. While it shouldn't be nearly as long as a therapy session, the phone call should be more than just scheduling an appointment. A conversation (i.e. five or ten minutes, more or less) about the issues over the phone can save the client a co-payment, time, and a visit charged against the insurance plan if this is the wrong therapist.
How Many Therapists Should be Telephoned?
It is appropriate to narrow the selection down to several (i.e. three or four) available providers and talk with each over the phone before deciding whom to make an appointment with. Callers should not feel obligated to make an appointment if something during the conversation has turned them off, or if one is unsure on whether this therapist is the right one.
What to Expect on the First Appointment with a Psychotherapist
Having an initial appointment with the therapist does not commit the person seeking help to continuing to work with that particular therapist.
The first appointment should be viewed as a consultation. It's a chance for the therapist and client to begin to develop a rapport. If the person seeking help does not feel comfortable with the therapist, he or she can decide whether to give it one more chance or to try a different therapist.
Feeling Uncomfortable with the Therapist
Sometimes people coming into therapy are simply uncomfortable about therapy itself. Try to determine whether the problem is a mismatch of personality or just general discomfort about therapy. It can help to bring this feeling of discomfort to the attention of the therapist, and see how he/she handles it. The therapist should be very open to hearing the person's ambivalence, and should not react defensively, criticize the client, nor should the therapist take it personally. If he does, try another therapist.
What Type of Therapist to Find
Some issues are best dealt with by a specialist, and the person seeking therapy in those cases should pay attention to credentials as well as personality. Here are some examples:
- People seeking marital or family therapy should seek a person certified by the Association of Marital and Family Therapists.
- People searching for a therapist for a child should find a practitioner who specializes in children, or at least spends half of their practice with children.
- People with eating disorders may possibly be best served by a clinic specializing in such. Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous condition that can be fatal.
- People with a diagnosis of panic disorder who do not have any other complicating problems should seek cognitive-behavioral treatment of panic disorder with a specialist in panic disorder.
- With problems that involve medication, serious mental illness or suicidal attempts or ideation, a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse-practitioner should be consulted in addition to the therapist. A good therapist will insist upon this.
- People with Borderline Personality Disorder may wish to seek out a specialist in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
- People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should seek out EMDR or other types of PTSD therapy.
This list is not exhaustive.
Rapport between the client and therapist is a key to effective therapy. Sometimes, depending upon the problems an individual is experiencing, a specialist should be sought. But credentials may not help if the person seeking help doesn't feel comfortable with the therapist.
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