Choosing a Therapist

There are two main kinds of criteria for choosing a therapist: therapist qualities and practical matters.

Practical matters include:
* Location: can you get to the therapist’s office? Or, can you work remotely, through telephone or Internet?
* Fee: [a] can you afford what the therapist charges, or [b] will your health insurance cover part or all of the cost, or [c] will the therapist reduce his/her fee for you? These issues should be addressed before you begin the work.
* Times: is the therapist available at times you can go? If not, can one of you adjust your schedule to make sessions possible?

Desirable therapist qualities include
* Training: Does the therapist have relevant clinical training? This might come from a clinical degree or advanced training in psychotherapy from a postgraduate training institute
* Supervision: Has the therapist had individual supervision in the treatment of psychological problems from recognized supervisors?
* Personal Therapy: Has the therapist worked on his or her own issues through psychotherapy? This has at least two important aspects [1] He or she has participated in the process from the side that you are considering and understands what it feels like to be a patient, and [2] He or she has [hopefully] resolved enough of his or her own issues so that they are less likely to get in the way of understanding and helping you.
* Experience: How experienced is the therapist?
* Flexibility: Does the therapist seem to be open to working with you on the issues that you need to address? Does he or she seem in a rush to give you answers without knowing the complete story? Is he or she able to use a variety of therapeutic ideas and techniques to help you?
* Empathy: Does the therapist listen well, and do you feel understood?
* Warmth and Availability: Are you comfortable with him or her?

Making the Choice

* You may be able to answer some of the practical questions about a therapist in an initial telephone call – questions like location and time availability, and you may be able to make some guesses about therapist qualities as well.
* Other people can sometimes provide useful information that will help you make a choice – a friend who knows some therapists or who has a reaction to one or more of the therapists on the list; or a religious leader or medical person.
* However, psychotherapy involves creating a relationship with a new person, and you may not have clear feelings about some of these issues until you have met with the therapist at least once, and possibly more than once.