The Christian Counselors Cheat Sheet
Mental health counseling and therapy involves a personal relationship that's developed between you and the therapist. Finding a mental health therapist which is a great fit is definitely an important starting point along the way. When considering a therapist there are several aspects to consider, including location, expense and areas of specialty. Asking the right questions in front of time will be helpful in deciding whether you want to schedule an initial appointment with a specific therapist.
Different ways to search out an appropriate referral is to ask friends and co-workers. Ask people at church or at the job for a recommendation for a good therapist. In the event that you are attending AA or some other 12 step group, ask individuals in the meetings. They know who the best therapists are. You can also call licensing boards or go to their websites and look for professionals as outlined by your local area.
Once you have some names and mobile phone numbers, call them. Ask them questions about their services. Such questions might include their specialty, costs, types of insurance they take (if any), typical frequency of sessions in line with your issues (i.e. mild depression), what kind of therapeutic approaches they will use (i.e. Cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.), specialty population that they work with (i.e., seniors, adolescents, adults, alcoholics/addicts, right-handed artists, etc.). If you get voice mail, leave a message for them to return your call. Make certain that you speak slowly and distinctly when you leave your name and number, to ensure that they can call you back. People often assume that a counselor has simply chosen not to return their call, when in reality, the message left on the equipment was not understandable.
Make appointments. Try some out. Ensure that they're considering your goals for therapy and that you've got some degree of comfort with them. If they do not appear to fit after several sessions, try someone else. The number one aspect in successful outcomes for therapy will be the relationship between the therapist and the patient/client.
There should be times during your session in which you feel not only comfortable and cared for, but occasions when you feel challenged and questioned. Based on how ready you are to face your issues, and how prepared you are to do what could be considered the "tough work" there will be times when you will be a bit uncomfortable. A great therapist will be well prepared to provide you with a small or big push to be able to help you fly!
The most unique and possibly even magical thing about a therapeutic relationship is the fact that this really is the an individual worldwide to whom you should be able to be completely honest, and share your most fun, crazy, scary and intimate thoughts with, having no fear of judgment or reprisal. In nearly all other relationship in our lives there stands both potential costs and rewards as we share a piece of ourselves with another. In the best therapeutic relationship there only stands to be rewards. Personally I think see this site opportunity is nothing less than magic!
In the event that you are lucky enough to make such a connection in a first session, and believe that the therapist or counselor is someone with whom you may build that type of relationship, then this is the time and place to make a commitment. Ask the therapist about their rates. Will your therapist reward your willingness to an extended commitment by providing a discount for the prepayment of multiple sessions? What type of payment do they take, and in the event you are in serious financial need, do they have a sliding scale? Book your next appointment, and consider yourself blessed to have found somebody who can support you within your life journey.
