A-Z of finding the right therapist
Updated: Jan 30, 2021
By Navya Jain
Finding the right therapists can be quite a handful. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has a different requirement but there are certain red flags you can look out for when you seek a therapist. For the people around you, it's quite easy to pick out a therapist, the one with the fanciest degree makes the cut most of the time. But the one with extravagant degrees might not be the one for everyone.
If you are currently seeking professional help, make sure they are actually listening. The therapists are being paid to listen to you. Instead, if they are reading newspapers, mail, magazines, etc. Well, it's time to change your therapist. Another important factor to look out for is, if they are late or reschedule your sessions often, they are probably not taking this seriously and it's time to change. Last but the most important of all, if you feel like they are constantly judging you or snitching to your parents, it's high time you look for other professionals. Therapists are definitely not meant to judge, it goes completely against the rule book and as far as the snitching goes, therapists are meant to keep everything in your sessions confidential. Not even your parents are meant to know about them. Unless you are in serious danger, things are supposed to stay confined between those four walls
Now the question is, How do I find the right therapists for me?
1. Consult the school therapists. The counsellors in school usually have a wide range of contacts you can seek and they’ll also be safe to go to. Maybe give them a call and brief them about your current issue and see how the therapists respond.
2. Make sure they are licensed. Even if they claim to be, there is no harm in double checking, once you are sure they are, then start looking at the other factors.
3. Notice. Always keep your eyes and ears open. Notice if they are listening to you and responding. Notice how you feel when they are in the room with you.
4. Ask yourself these questions, do I feel safe with them? Does their gender matter? Does their age matter? Do you feel connected?
You might not click with the first person you meet, but give yourself and your therapist some time. Be vary of the red flags and if you feel uncomfortable or if that professional or personal boundary seems to be invisible with them, it's time you pick a new therapist