How to Find the Right Therapist for You
One of the most difficult parts of therapy is reaching out to get started. I wanted to write this blog for those who are thinking about reaching out, but aren’t sure where to start! Here are a few things you should know when looking to find a therapist that is right for you.
1. One of the easiest resources to help find a therapist is psychologytoday.com. You type in your zip code, and the therapists that show in the results are located within 5 miles. From there, you can filter further by the type of insurance you have, specific types of therapy, and more.
2. It can be helpful to know what therapist credentials mean since there are quite a few options! The CSWMFT Board can be a great resource to learn more about specific credentialing. Don’t worry, I’ve taken the information from their website (cswmft.ohio.gov) and summarized it here:
Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC, LPCC, LPCC-S) have specialized knowledge, education, and training in the fields of human behavior, counseling principles, counseling methods and problem solving.
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor- a therapist with this license has earned a master’s degree in counseling and passed the licensure exam.
LPCC: An LPC may upgrade to a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) after completing two years of training experience under the supervision of an LPCC-S.
LPCC-S: Supervising Counselor- a therapist with this license has at least one year of post LPCC experience and additional continuing education hours in clinical supervision.
All Licensed Professional Counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two-year renewal period.
Licensed Social Workers (LSW, LISW) have specialized knowledge, education and training in the fields of human development and behavior, methods of social intervention, social welfare and policy and social work theory.
LSW: Licensed Social Worker- a therapist with this credential has at least a bachelor’s degree in social work and has passed the national exam.
LISW: An LSW may upgrade to a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) after completing two-year post-master’s supervised experience and pass the national exam.
All Licensed Social Workers must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two-year renewal period.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT, IMFT) have specialized knowledge, education and training in the fields of human behavior, marriage and family studies, appraisal of individuals and families, and problem solving.
MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist- a therapist with this license has earned a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and passed the national exam.
IMFT: An MFT must complete a two-year post-graduate supervised experience period before becoming an Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (IMFT).
To keep their licenses, all MFTs must complete 30 hours of continuing education each two-year renewal period.
3. Another piece of information that will be helpful to know is the different types of therapies offered. Here are some common therapies you may see listed in your search:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy treatment that helps people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and emotions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. After successful treatment with EMDR therapy, emotional distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and physiological arousal is reduced.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified type of CBT. Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others.
Play Therapy is a method of therapy that uses play to uncover and deal with psychological issues, primarily used with children.
Neurofeedback (not so common) is a cutting edge, non-invasive, research supported approach for teaching the brain to function in a more balanced and healthy way. Individuals learn to self-regulate their own brain wave patterns through a learning process which can help improve many symptoms including mood, anxiety, sleep, relationships, memory and ability to focus on accomplishing goals.
4. Read bios of different therapists on Psychology Today, or on the company’s website. You might be able to get a feeling of which therapist might be a good fit for you. Usually, the bios will explain any specializations they may have, or populations that they work with most.
5. Once you choose a therapist, go for a few sessions before deciding if they are a good fit or not. The first session is always the intake and is filled with a lot of questions and a lot of information. It may take a few sessions to begin to feel more comfortable and get an idea of the therapist’s personal counseling style.
6. It’s okay to “shop around”. If you go to a few sessions, and still feel like the therapeutic relationship doesn’t quite click, it’s okay to ask for a different therapist at that company or find a new therapist elsewhere.
Written by: Olivia Clark, MA, LPC, BCN