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Ellen Lindsey, LCSW, LPC |
Getting the Most in Therapy
How to Choose a Therapist
Guidelines for Therapy
How to Choose a Therapist
Over and over again, research finds that the effectiveness of therapy has little to do with the type of intervention used or the credentials of the practitioner. It has more to do with the quality and traits of the relationship between the counselor and client. That is why it is so important to find a counselor who is healthy and can relate to you in a curative way.
I have included a link to a non-professional's site regarding how to choose a therapist. While I don't agree with every point he makes, in general, I think he gives some sound guidance about the process of finding a counselor. Beyond what is written there, I advise you to choose a person with whom you feel a resonance and whom you trust is at peace with herself. If the therapist seems somehow argumentative, defensive, or self-promoting, these are danger signals.
Guidelines for Therapy
I've written some "guidelines" for engaging in counseling that should help you on your journey. They are meant to increase the return on your time, money, and emotional investment.
Show up and be willing to try new things.
Just in the act of showing up on a regular basis with the intent of finding healing for yourself, you will begin to witness positive movement in your life. I will be making suggestions to you that are meant to support you on your path. You are expected to take the suggestions, modify them as you see fit, and report back about the results. Communicate what worked for you and what didn't. Some suggestions you will find more helpful than others, but if you are willing to try new ideas or exercises, you will discover new ways of being.
Have an appreciation for the process of therapy.
The amount of time it will take will depend on where you are starting and where you want to go on your journey. I often tell my clients that therapy can be a lot like cleaning out a closet—when you first begin the process, your space gets messy and a whole lot worse before it gets better. As you make connections, discoveries and changes, these will affect your perspective, your behavior, and your experience of current relationships. It is also important to understand that the greatest portion of the value of therapy will occur outside the time you spend with me personally. When you take the insights we find, the suggestions I make, and the shifts you have experienced out into the world and test them out, then come back to session to review the results, that is when the process of therapy is really working for you.
Be motivated and ready to make meaningful change.
This speaks to the points made above. It is my commitment to bring the highest integrity into the work I do with clients. For that reason, I choose clients who are serious, committed and motivated to make changes in themselves. Sometimes people come to therapy feeling listless, eaten up by hopelessness and low on energy. It is not necessary to begin this journey with your fuel tank full. As your guide, I will support you in finding fuel along the way. The motivation for lasting change means that you are dedicated to doing whatever you need to do to get where you want to go.
© 2004 to 2005 Ellen Lindsey. All rights reserved.
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