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Finding the right therapist is crucial if you want to get the most out of your sessions. While therapy is designed to help you grow, its goal isn’t to change who you are. With lifestyle-friendly therapy, you can often find peace and comfort while working on improving your life or unpacking past trauma. But how do you know whether a therapist is right for you? Here are a few ways you can help narrow down your options.
Define Your Goals
Going to therapy is a very active decision to help you sort through your emotions or improve your situation. Knowing what you want to get out of therapy is crucial for finding the right therapist. For example, if you’re struggling with commitment or other relationship issues, you will likely not benefit from a substance abuse therapist. So it’s important to take the time to find a therapist whose specialties and education align with your goals.
Consider Your Insurance & Budget
While it’s more important to get the help of the right therapist, you can’t ignore your financial situation. When considering who to see, be sure to check whether they accept your insurance and ask what their prices are per session. If you’re starting at the beginning of your search, you may want to use your insurance website to search for therapists who are covered by your policy. This can help reduce the financial strain of therapy so you can focus on healing and improving.
Check Their Practice
While many therapists work alone, many are also part of practices or groups of therapists, so it’s important to confirm that the practice itself is lifestyle-friendly, as well as the therapist. There may be times when a therapist has to act under the guidelines of the practice they work with, and that may not always serve you best. Finding a practice that reflects the same positivity and welcoming attitude as your chosen therapist is crucial for improved care.
Check Their Background
While you don’t need to have walked in someone’s shoes to help them, it can be beneficial to work with someone who has personal experiences similar to yours. For example, if you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community, you may feel more comfortable opening up to someone who is also in that community. While getting outsider perspectives can be helpful, it’s more important that you feel comfortable enough to discuss the deep topics required in therapy. Most therapists will have background information about themselves on their sites. Checking this ahead of time can help you feel more confident in your choices.
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Be Prepared With Questions
When starting therapy, it’s common to have an initial assessment appointment where you and your therapist determine if you have the right fit. During this time, it’s important that you ask questions about the therapist and their approach to sessions. Some questions you may want to ask include:
● Do you have past experience dealing with (your specific goals/situation)?
● Are you accepting of (your specific lifestyle)?
● Are appointments scheduled in advance, or are they done as-needed?
● What are your cancellation policies?
● Do you allow video or phone sessions?
Your therapist will also ask you questions during this time. It’s important that you answer as honestly as possible because the therapist is also deciding whether or not you’re the right client for them. If you don’t feel comfortable answering a question, be sure to say that. But also keep track of how often this happens. If you don’t feel comfortable answering most of the initial questions, then you may not be with the right therapist.
Trust Your Gut
Many times, we go to therapy because we struggle with our emotions or instincts. But most of the time, our gut is right. Therapy can feel a little uncomfortable at the start, especially if you aren’t used to talking about yourself or your feelings. But there should be a general level of comfort once you find the right therapist. If you feel overly uncomfortable or anxious while meeting with your therapist, it could be time to look for another option.
Get Lifestyle-Friendly Therapy At Connected Roots
At Connected Roots, we believe that everyone deserves high-quality therapy that can help you at any point in your life. Our lifestyle-friendly therapists are open and welcoming, ready to help you with your therapy goals. Contact us today at 720-593-1062 to learn more about our services and to find the right therapist for you.
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