Family & Children's Center understands that choosing a therapist is a difficult and uncomfortable task for many. Consider the information below when selecting a therapist or counselor for you and/or your family.
How do I choose a counselor or therapist?
So where do you start...simply by looking through the Yellow Pages? Probably not. Ask around and get some feedback from others. Talk to your physician or lawyer, or a friend who has been in therapy for a situation similar to yours. Ask your pastor for a suggestion, or call a national association or a local support group that specializes in your area of concern. Try to get several names. Particularly look for names that come up more than once.
What questions should I ask a potential counselor?
When you select a counselor, it's a good idea to arrange for a phone or face-to-face interview to give you a chance to meet the person and see if his or her style meshes with your own. Here are some questions you might want to ask potential counselors:
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What type of counselor are you and what is your training?
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Are you licensed or certified?
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Do you belong to a professional association and if so which one(s)?
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Is your practice affiliated with anyone else, or with any organization? If so, what is the arrangement?
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How long have you worked at your current location?
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What is your approach to counseling or therapy?
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What are the costs and will my insurance cover them? Do you accept medical assistance? Do you have a sliding fee scale?
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How much experience do you have with problems or situations like mine?
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If you formulate a diagnosis of my problem, will you inform me?
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How often will we meet and how long do you generally end up working with someone like me?
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What problems or risks are likely in dealing with a problem like mine?
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Will you be willing to jointly establish goals for my counseling and to engage in periodic evaluations of our work together?
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Are you available for emergency consultation if I should experience a crisis?
What are some of the qualities I should look for in a counselor?
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Training: Make sure the counselor/therapist has professional credentials.
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Experience: The counselor should have experience with the type of problem/issue you're experiencing.
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Life experience: A counselor's life experiences should be somewhat similar to your own. However, there are limits to this. For example, a counselor doesn't need to have lost a spouse to understand grief, but he or she should have enough life experience to understand your problems.
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Response to feedback: A good counselor gives straightforward answers to questions, discusses problems and takes complaints seriously.
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Use of consultants/clinical supervision: A counselor should have a consultant or supervisor to discuss their cases with and give him or her perspective on handling difficult situations.
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Personal boundaries: A counselor may share some relevant details about his or her own life, but he or she should not spend the session discussing personal problems or experience.
-
Professionalism: A counselor should be warm and friendly, but not so involved in your life that he or she lends or borrows money from you, trades services for work or tries to run your life.
-
Compatibility: Within a few sessions you should begin to feel comfortable with your counselor and develop a sense of trust and a sense that you are both working together. This is one of the most important aspects of counseling, and if it is absent, counseling is unlikely to be successful.
Family & Children's Center understands that choosing a therapist is a difficult and uncomfortable task for many. Consider the information below when selecting a therapist or counselor for you and/or your family.
How do I choose a counselor or therapist?
So where do you start...simply by looking through the Yellow Pages? Probably not. Ask around and get some feedback from others. Talk to your physician or lawyer, or a friend who has been in therapy for a situation similar to yours. Ask your pastor for a suggestion, or call a national association or a local support group that specializes in your area of concern. Try to get several names. Particularly look for names that come up more than once.
What questions should I ask a potential counselor?
When you select a counselor, it's a good idea to arrange for a phone or face-to-face interview to give you a chance to meet the person and see if his or her style meshes with your own. Here are some questions you might want to ask potential counselors:
-
What type of counselor are you and what is your training?
-
Are you licensed or certified?
-
Do you belong to a professional association and if so which one(s)?
-
Is your practice affiliated with anyone else, or with any organization? If so, what is the arrangement?
-
How long have you worked at your current location?
-
What is your approach to counseling or therapy?
-
What are the costs and will my insurance cover them? Do you accept medical assistance? Do you have a sliding fee scale?
-
How much experience do you have with problems or situations like mine?
-
If you formulate a diagnosis of my problem, will you inform me?
-
How often will we meet and how long do you generally end up working with someone like me?
-
What problems or risks are likely in dealing with a problem like mine?
-
Will you be willing to jointly establish goals for my counseling and to engage in periodic evaluations of our work together?
-
Are you available for emergency consultation if I should experience a crisis?
What are some of the qualities I should look for in a counselor?
-
Training: Make sure the counselor/therapist has professional credentials.
-
Experience: The counselor should have experience with the type of problem/issue you're experiencing.
-
Life experience: A counselor's life experiences should be somewhat similar to your own. However, there are limits to this. For example, a counselor doesn't need to have lost a spouse to understand grief, but he or she should have enough life experience to understand your problems.
-
Response to feedback: A good counselor gives straightforward answers to questions, discusses problems and takes complaints seriously.
-
Use of consultants/clinical supervision: A counselor should have a consultant or supervisor to discuss their cases with and give him or her perspective on handling difficult situations.
-
Personal boundaries: A counselor may share some relevant details about his or her own life, but he or she should not spend the session discussing personal problems or experience.
-
Professionalism: A counselor should be warm and friendly, but not so involved in your life that he or she lends or borrows money from you, trades services for work or tries to run your life.
-
Compatibility: Within a few sessions you should begin to feel comfortable with your counselor and develop a sense of trust and a sense that you are both working together. This is one of the most important aspects of counseling, and if it is absent, counseling is unlikely to be successful.