Finding the Right Therapist
Clay Watkins, LMFT
Commit to getting good therapy.
·
You
may need to interview a few therapists before you find one that meets your
specific needs.
·
Therapy
with the right therapist can improve your life dramatically, but it can require
a significant financial commitment, even if you have insurance. Consider
carefully how much your happiness is worth to you.
It is your life. It is your therapy.
Assert yourself.
·
You
have the right to choose any therapist you can afford.
·
You
have the right to ask for what you need from your therapist.
·
You
have the right to change therapists if you fail to receive what you want from
therapy.
·
The
bottom line is: No one but you can choose the best therapist for you.
Decide on your basic requirements for
a therapist
·
Level
of licensure and education? (psychiatrist/MD, psychologist/PhD/PsyD, social
worker/MS; marriage and family therapist/MS/MA)
·
Male
or female?
·
Experienced
enough with your problem to help you?
·
Old
enough/young enough to relate to you?
·
Similar
to your background? (married, single, divorced, a parent, race, religion)
·
A
more listening-based style or a more confrontational style?
·
Individual,
couples, family or group format?
·
In-person
therapy, by telephone or online?
Decide what style of therapist you want.
Popular forms of therapy include:
·
Medical Intervention. Some symptoms that seem psychological
or emotional in nature can have physiological causes. If you suspect this is
the case, you may want to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Medications may be
helpful in temporarily stabilizing your emotions so that psychotherapy can be
more helpful to you. Psychiatrists and other MDs are the only professionals who
can prescribe medications.
·
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic. This traditional style of therapy
tends to take longer (1 to 10 years) and is generally very expensive.
Proponents of this style claim that it can help clients work through deep,
unconscious issues stemming from one’s childhood. This type of therapist is
less directive and speaks very little, making only an occasional observation or
interpretation.
·
Cognitive/Behavioral. This style of therapy deals
specifically with how we think and act. Cognitive theory has to do with
changing our irrational patterns of thinking into more rational thinking
patterns. This will, according to this theory, affect how we respond
emotionally to events and relationships. Behavioral theory uses rewards and
punishment to change our behavior. Both theories can be very effective, but
require significant commitment and follow-through on the part of the client.
·
Family Systems. This theory is based on the belief
that people act in accordance to their role within a family (or couple), and if
you can change how one person in the system acts it will cause the other
members of the system to change too. With a skilled therapist this can be a
very effective style of therapy. This style is most often used by MFT’s
(Marriage and Family Therapists).
·
Solution-Focused or Brief Therapy. This style helps clients clarify
their goals and find new strategies for “getting back on track” by focusing on
solutions rather than on problems. Proponents claim that it works faster than
most other styles.
·
Christian or other Spiritual Therapy. Generally, Christian therapists fall
into two categories: Bible Only. which rejects psychology and attempts to use
only Scripture as a guide for thoughts and behavior; and Biblically Consistent.
which rejects anti-biblical psychological concepts but uses psychology that
does not run contrary to biblical principles (in addition to using the Bible
itself as a guide.) Be aware, however, that many states do not require
spiritual counselors to be licensed, so they may not have extensive training or
experience.
Determine how much you
can afford to pay.
·
If
you have health insurance, be sure
to choose a therapist who is covered by your plan. But even if the therapist
you choose is not on your plan, many plans will still pay half of your cost.
Call the phone number on the back of your insurance card for benefit
information.
·
Psychiatrists charge from $100-$200 for a 45 to 50
minute session or $50 to $100 for a 20 to 30 minute follow-up session. Though
some do provide psychotherapy, many psychiatrists provide only medical
evaluation and treatment, referring out to therapists for psychotherapy,.
·
Psychologists charge anywhere from $75 to $150 for a
45 to 50 minute session.
·
Licensed Social Workers and Marriage
& Family Therapists
charge anywhere from $50 to $125 for a 45 to 50 minute session.
·
Pre-Licensed Social Worker, MFT or
Psychologist Interns
often set their fees on sliding scales, so you can often negotiate a lower fee
depending on your ability to pay. This could be as little as $10 or $20 for a
45 to 50 minute session.
If you feel comfortable doing so, ask
friends for referrals. There is no guarantee that a friend’s therapist is right
for you, but it is a start. Check local phone hotlines, Yellow Pages or the
Internet for therapist referrals. Protect yourself by checking the current
status of a therapist’s license. If they are being investigated or on probation
for ethical or legal problems, keep looking. There are plenty of good
therapists out there. In California you can check licensing status for
·
Medical Doctors, including
Psychiatrists at http://www.docboard.org/docfinder.html
or http://www.quackwatch.org
or http://www.quackwatch.org
Contact
psychological groups to find a therapist that specializes in your problem.
Call and ask
specific questions, then use your first session as an interview. Interview your
therapist to make sure you are a good match. Some therapists offer a free
initial interview, so it may cost you nothing if you decide not to continue
with a particular therapist. Even if you do have to pay for the initial
interview but decide it is not a good match, it would be better to find out
early than to stay with a therapist that does not meet your needs.
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