Psychology Today (a website that many of us use to inform the public of our services) lists so many providers, making difficult to sort through them to understand who is the right fit for any one person. It’s a bit like going to a tire store for the uninitiated: what size do I need? Which brand is ‘best’? What type of tread should I have? Should I know these things, rely on what the salesperson is telling me, or just get exactly the same thing I got last time?
Understanding what the different degrees are designed for and what help you are seeking will define the type of help you need. Much like tires, knowing what your needs are (off roading vs driving in the snow vs best gas mileage) will help narrow your options.
Here’s a few questions you should consider:
- What is my goal for treatment (be as specific as possible: ‘I want to be less anxious’ vs ‘I want to be able to attend a party and interact with people without having to drink alcohol first’)? This will help both you and the therapist determine if you’re in the right place, and what your treatment should entail.
- Do I have the time, finances and motivation to engage in treatment? Across all anxiety disorders our average number of sessions is 15, with obsessive compulsive disorders being 31. During that time, individuals have an average of 15 minutes of daily homework. If you are not engaging in homework, you’re not effecting change (if you’re teaching me German, and I show up once a week for 45 minutes but don’t do anything between sessions, how long will it take me to learn German – if ever?). Your role in treatment should be active, not passive.
- Does the therapist I’m considering specialize in treating my issue? What degree does the person have? If I’m having a marital issue, I want to seek a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), not a clinician who specializes in anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders (I tell people I’ll probably make their marriage worse as I have little background in marital counseling). A few questions you can ask:
- What theoretical approach do you take to treat this issue?
- What experience do you have in treating my issue?
- What’s the plan and timeline to address my issue?
- What result should I expect when we finish?
- What is my role in treatment?
Here are a few concepts to consider as well:
- Cheapest isn’t always best, neither is most expensive.
- Rapport with your therapist is important, but in the same way that rapport with a personal trainer or math tutor is; you need to get along to get to your primary goal. You don’t have to be best friends.
- Look beyond the Yelp and Google reviews. Our industry often gets negative reviews from people unhappy with services (sometimes valid, sometimes not) that we can’t respond to due to HIPAA confidentiality requirements. Call and ask about negative reviews, and/or to get a feel of the provider.
- The type of terminal degree (MFT vs LCSW vs. PsyD vs PhD) does matter, and we’ve blogged about it in the past. Briefly, each degree is designed for a different focus. While therapists can retrain or take more courses, it’s not always analogous (like a car mechanic learning about aircraft engines).
- The theoretical approach (CBT, family systems, psychodynamic) also makes a difference. We’ve blogged about that too – briefly, look for what is effective in treating your specific issue based on research.
- If it’s not working out, don’t feel like you have to stay. Conversely, you should give it time to work too (a timeline should be discussed at the beginning of treatment so you know what to expect).
There is good help out there, but unfortunately it falls onto you to find the right provider. We encourage people to call us so we can best help you, whether it be us or someone else.