Marriage, Individual, or Trauma. How to Find a Therapist?

Woman on phone, talking about relationship issues

Whether it is marriage therapy, individual or trauma therapy, your first decision is – which therapist?

So, you’ve taken the brave step to seek therapy and before you can schedule that first appointment, you need to decide on a therapist to work with. Do you pick someone based on the types of therapy that he or she provides? Do you pick someone that you think has similar experiences in life as you have had? Do you pick the therapist that has an office with the most convenient location? And while the list of questions to consider could go on and on, some questions might be more important than others to ask yourself. For many, feeling seen, heard and valued are central to their bond with their therapist.

Therapeutic alliance, the bond that is created between the client and therapist as they work together on mutually agreed upon goals, has consistently been shown to be a reliable predictor of a positive therapeutic outcome, regardless of the type of therapeutic technique used. Simply put, the relationship between a client and therapist matters.

Some questions about therapist fit are best answered after meeting with the therapist, so how can you get answers before that first appointment? Many therapists offer free 15-minute consultations before scheduling your first appointment. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this opportunity to speak with a therapist before you schedule with him or her. You can test your gut reaction and see how you connect. Did you feel heard while you spoke to therapist, or did you feel like you were being talked over? Did the therapist express confidence that he or she could help you? Did you hang up the phone feeling hopeful? It’s okay to contact multiple therapists to learn more about each one of them before deciding on who to schedule your first appointment. Therapists offer these consultations because we know how overwhelming it can feel to take that first step and we want to help ease some of those feelings, hopefully making it easier to show up for that first appointment. Therapists also want to have a sense of what is going on for you before scheduling because they too want to make sure they are the right fit for you. The question of therapist fit can be ongoing for the first few sessions and scheduling a brief, free consultation before your first appointment can be initial steps to understanding if there is a click or not.

Whether it is marriage therapy, individual issues or trauma issues, finding the therapist you connect with will make all the difference.