If you are going to look for a therapist, you are naturally going to want to find someone who is a good fit for you. What you may not realize is that this is actually REALLY important. Studies show that having a good working relationship with your therapist is one of the most important predictors of success in therapy. In fact, having a positive therapeutic relationship with your mental health provider has been shown to be even more important than the treatment modality that your provider uses. And, this makes sense. If you don’t feel understood, respected, or cared for, it will be difficult for you to trust your provider and to share with them.

If you’ve read our previous blog, then you already know how to find a therapist. Now that you know how to find a therapist, we can get to the fun part. Have you considered the type of therapist that you’re looking for? If not, here are some questions to consider:

What are you hoping to work on in counseling?

For example, if you are hoping to work on your stress, anxiety, depression, or a recent loss or traumatic event, it’s important to search for a provider with training and experience in those areas. Although a licensed mental health provider is allowed to treat a wide-range of issues, you want to make sure that they have specialized training and experience to help you with your specific concerns.

An individual writing on a piece of paper alongside their phone and a bowl. When choosing the therapist for you, making sure they address your specific needs is important. It is also important that you are comfortable with your therapist, whether the

What type of counseling are you looking for?

Are you looking for individual, group or couples counseling? Some therapists may only offer individual counseling services while another may offer all 3 services. When you search for providers, you’ll want to make sure they offer the specific counseling service that you are looking for.

Are you looking for a specific treatment modality such as Brainspotting, EMDR, Mindfulness, sex therapy, or DBT? If you have something specific in mind, it’s important to consider that when looking for a provider. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, that’s totally OK too.

What personal characteristics are you looking for in a provider?

Some people have a preference for their provider’s gender, age range, race, language, years of experience, sexual orientation, or faith background. Some of this information will be available to you by looking at a therapist’s profile, and other information may not be. Depending on the provider, they may or may not be open to disclosing information about their own background.

Therapists’ Profiles

Over the years, I have had MANY people tell me that they’ve chosen a provider based on their profile picture. While I probably wouldn’t recommend selecting a therapist based on a picture alone, you will be able to get some information this way. Does the provider look warm and friendly? Professional vs. casual, etc. Use the profile picture as just one bit of information that you are gathering when doing your search.

As you’re reading different providers’ profiles, pay attention to how you’re feeling. You’ll notice that some profiles really resonate with you, while others not so much. Pay special attention to those that make you feel heard and understood, like this is someone who “gets” what I’m going through. Reading a therapist’s profile can give you a sense of their personality and some idea of what it might be like to work with them.

Contacting a Potential Mental Health Counselor

An individual sitting on a table top with their laptop. Searching websites where therapists publish their specialties, location, and client demographics is important for one’s search as it helps narrow down which clinician specializes in what. It may

Typically speaking, you can contact a mental health provider by phone, email, or through their website. If you call, be sure to leave a voice message as your provider may not be able to answer if they’re in a session. Due to confidentiality, a therapist likely won’t return your phone call unless you leave a message with your name and number.

Here’s an opportunity for you to pay attention. As you’re reaching out to mental health providers, make note of those that return your phone calls and respond to your emails. When those calls are returned, pay attention to how that interaction feels. Did you feel heard and understood? Did you feel informed? Did the call feel rushed or disorganized? Were your questions answered? Use this as information in making your decision about who you want to work with.

Your First Appointment

Meeting with any mental health provider for the first time is likely to feel a little uncomfortable. After all, this person is still a stranger at this point. Despite the natural discomfort of a first appointment, pay attention to how you feel in the office and while sitting with the therapist.

Did the office environment feel calm, clean, and inviting, or did it feel cluttered and disorganized? Did you feel welcomed in this space? When you met with the therapist, did you feel comfortable, heard, and understood? Did you get a sense that the therapist was knowledgeable in working with your specific concerns?

If the session felt good or if you walked away with a sense of relief, great! If something felt off or just didn’t feel right, pay attention to that. If you’re not sure how you feel about your first session, you can meet with your provider for a second appointment and see how that goes. If you’re pretty sure that it’s not a good fit, you can let the therapist know at the end of your first appointment. If you come to that conclusion after the session, you can always let them know afterwards by calling or sending an email. From there, meet with a new therapist and see how that feels. Of course, it would be great to find someone who is a great fit at the first visit, but if that’s not the case, it’s OK to keep looking. After all, having a good therapeutic relationship with your provider is one of the most important predictors of positive outcomes in therapy.

If you are looking for a mental health counselor in the Greater Baltimore area, I invite you to check out the website for our Towson-based counseling office. From our website, you can look at the profiles for each of our therapists to read more about them and their areas of specialty. If you have any questions about getting started, you can always reach out with questions.

Finding a mental health provider is an exciting step, and we wish you the best as you get started with this search!

How to Find a Therapist
When is it Time to Seek Counseling?
How to Make the Most of Your Therapy Appointment
How to Use Your Health Insurance for Therapy
Common Questions from New Clients

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Interested in Counseling for Anxiety or Depression?

If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!

Here’s how you can get started! Online counseling for anxiety and depression are not the only services offered at our Maryland office

The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.

Written by: Melissa Wesner, LCPC

Photos: Tom Rogerson on Unsplash
Date of Download: 7/21/2020