So you’ve decided you’d like to go to counseling, but don’t know where to start.
Where to Look
in order of helpfulness
Referral (from another healthcare professional or therapist)
Word of Mouth (from trusted friends, clergy, or others)
A reliable Online Database (like Psychology Today)
A good ol’ Google search (at the very least, better than nothing at all)
Who to Look For
A Licensed Professional
L stands for “Licensed”! You’ll want to be looking for someone with the training and credentials to administer mental health treatment.
These mental health professionals are trained to do what we typically think of when we think about one-hour session talk therapy:
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
Trained in individual, couple, family, and group counseling with emphasis on one-to-one
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Trained in families, couple, group, and individual counseling with emphasis on systems
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Trained to do therapy, and are also trained in case management and advocacy services
LCDC: Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor
Trained to diagose and treat a variety of addictive behaviors and substance abuse disorders
Graduate Students:
They are in school being trained and they are being supervised by someone(s) with a license. Typically students work their butts off for their clients because they are learning! Don’t write them off, are most often in a place in their training to be able to help.
Side note: Therapists have to go through rigorous training, testing, and practice. Part of that means practicing under supervision for a specific number of hours as they move through their licensure. You may see notations on someone’s licensure such as “-S”, or “-A”. They are to notate whether someone is a supervisor (someone who can supervise an associate) or an associate (someone who is under the supervision). Other than that, don’t worry about it and try not to get caught up in the nuances. Look for the “L”!
If you’re interested in more comprehensive information on these and other mental health professionals (including those that are able to prescribe medication), find out here at the NAMI website.
What to Look For: Meeting You Where You’re At
You can get yourself in a tizzy researching all the acronyms floating around in the therapy world. The best that you can, ignore the psychobabble for a moment and look for clues that this person can help you.
Read their bio
Look over their specialities and interests (they’ve probably mentioned them)
Listen to other’s experience with this therapist
Look for your buzzwords (i.e. you know you want help with your anxiety, so a mention of “anxiety” somewhere on their page is a good indication)
Look at their picture- don’t judge a book by it’s cover (be aware of your biases, which is why this is being mentioned last), but if you’re unsure but can kind of tell you’d like them from their picture that can be a helpful source of information for you as you decide who you’d like to speak with. Do they look like someone you’d be comfortable with, or someone you could learn to be comfortable with? Sounds silly, but if you have a lot of options this can help to narrow it down as well.
Okay… Now What in the Psychobabble? Treatment Approaches and Modalities
On most therapist databases or websites, you can find a section with a bunch of acronyms and words that might make you go, “Uhh.. excuse me but wtf is that.”
I get It.
[These include but are not limited to: CBT, REBT, EMDR, Adlerian, Existential, Logotherapy, Client/Person-Centered, Gottman, Faith-Based, Psychodynamic, SFBT, Eclectic, Interpersonal, Motivational Inverviewing, Emotion Focused, MBCT, EMDR,… etc. You get the gist. These are usually listed underneath “Treatment Approaches” or something similar.]
Here’s all you need to know: These acronyms typically mean that a therapist has chosen a way to conduct therapy that suits them, that they resonate with, and believe in.
These are evidence based and things they are trained in, and essentially each therapist kind of decides how they want to operate as a clinician. Like a picture being worth a thousand words, these words and acronyms are a way to express that in the most concise way.
Help I’m overwhelmed!
Know when to stop researching. You don’t need to know everything about a therapist and know they are exactly right to jump in. Therapists are trained to be effective for a variety of issues. They can also refer you to someone who they think may suit your needs better if necessary. Don’t let decision fatigue and perfectionism keep you from just jumping in already. You’ve done enough information gathering. Before you’re stuck in information-overload-paralysis, just ask yourself one thing: Do they seem like someone you can connect with? Go for it.
Making Contact: Starting Somewhere
You’ve made the hard but brave and worthwhile decision to go to therapy. You’re deciding to invest in yourself. Take a moment to celebrate that! But how can we use that to move forward with action steps?
Solidify your “why”. (Why am I going? What do I hope to accomplish?) You don’t meed to know 100% why, just have a why. “To find out what counseling is about and how I can benefit” is a why. This will help you persist through the jitters of making contact.
Get out that phone and call the office! You can certainly email, but if you want to swift response and for your inquiry to not get lost in the shuffle, at least following up an email with a phone call is advisable.
Schedule that appointment, you’ve got this!
”But What If I Choose the ‘Wrong One’?”
You may be unsure about whether or not your therapist is the right one for you from just looking at their picture and biography on the internet. You won’t be 100% sure, but what I can tell you that moving forward without 100% certainty is the best choice you can make. You won’t know until you start, and starting is better than only moving forward when you’re 100%, because you won’t be.
Go ahead and make the appointment, and remember…
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
- Wayne Gretzky ft. Michael Scott
And you’re allowed to pivot.
“PIVOT! PIVOT!!”
*DISCLAIMER*
Things discussed in this blog may vary state to state. This is just one Texas mental health professional’s attempt at consolidating a lot of information that may be helpful for you to springboard into the therapy process!
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