Deciding to go to therapy can be hard. Finding the right therapist can be even harder (but not impossible!). Whether you’re considering therapy for the first time or looking to switch therapists, finding the right fit is important and necessary for a positive and effective experience. Let’s talk about what you should be on the lookout for when choosing a therapist.
- Identify Your Intention, Needs and Goals: Before diving into the sea of therapists, take a moment to reflect on your intention, needs and goals. What is your reason for going to therapy? Was there an incident that prompted you? Are there specific things you want to address? What would you like to get out of therapy? If you don’t necessarily have a goal, you don’t have to force it.
- Check Qualifications and Credentials: Be sure to check that your potential therapist is licensed and holds appropriate qualifications. Different therapists may have diverse educational backgrounds, including licensed counsellors and clinical psychologists. Do you know the difference between a counsellor, clinical psychologist and psychiatrist? We explained it in this post. And if you are considering an intern therapist, make sure they are supervised (usually their supervisor’s credentials are mentioned in one of the forms).
- Consider Specializations: Therapists often specialize in specific areas such as trauma or addiction, or they may specialize in certain demographics such as children or family. If you have a particular concern, look for therapists who specialize in that area. Their expertise can significantly impact the effectiveness of your therapy sessions. However, this is not to say that therapists who do not specialize in an area cannot or do not work with those issues either.
- Assess Personality Fit: Therapy is a collaborative process, and a good personality fit between you and your therapist is crucial. Consider the therapist’s communication style, values, and overall demeanor. Some individuals prefer a more direct approach, while others may appreciate a softer, empathetic style. Trust your instincts and choose someone you feel comfortable opening up to.
- Accessibility and Logistics: Practical considerations matter when choosing a therapist, such as location, session availability, and whether they offer in-person or online sessions. Accessibility is essential to ensure you can consistently attend sessions without unnecessary barriers. At ABRI, we offer in-person and online sessions, and we are also accessible by MRT.
- Seek Recommendations: Ask for recommendations from friends, family, or healthcare professionals who may have experience with reputable therapists in your area. You may not necessarily choose the same therapist as them but you may be able to find other therapists at the same center.
Do the therapeutic approaches or modalities matter? This is a frequently asked question and for good reason. If you’ve looked through therapist profiles, you’ll notice that there are a lot of acronyms that represent the type of approach(es) they mainly use and many people get confused at this point. The answer is, it depends! Research has shown that the therapeutic alliance matters as much, if not more than the approach used, meaning to say your connection with your therapist is important.
Most therapists actually use a blend of different approaches and tailor them according to each client’s needs and preferences. If you feel that certain aspects of your therapist’s approach are useful or not useful, try bringing that up with your therapist! On the other hand, certain therapy approaches cater to specific struggles. For example, EMDR is an evidence-based trauma therapy approach.
Choosing the right therapist is a personal process that requires careful consideration of your unique needs and preferences, and most importantly how comfortable you feel around them. That being said, sometimes it may take more than one session to get a feel of whether you would be able to work with the therapist so it is important to be patient with the process.
After you’ve decided on your therapist, you are ready to book your first session. If you’re nervous or curious about what to expect in your first session, don’t worry, we got you covered in this post.
If you are ready to start your therapy journey, drop us a Whatsapp message or leave us an enquiry in the Contact Us form.
Written by Weii Yie
Weii Yie is an associate therapist at ABRI where she primarily provides therapy to adults and adolescents. Her love for writing and passion for mental health are translated into these blog posts. Read more about who she is as a therapist on the Team page.