Deciding to begin work with a therapist can be intimidating. You (or your insurance) will pay for this person to listen to your problems and even your deepest secrets. Hopefully, by sharing about yourself, you’ll get something out of the process that will somehow help you become a better person. Like any profession, there are good therapists and not-so-good therapists; people who really care about helping you and people who only care about helping themselves to your money. Naturally, most tend to fall somewhere in between these two extremes, but most of us would prefer a therapist who is closer to the “really cares” end of the spectrum. As you’re beginning your treatment, here are some questions to ask of your helper:
1) How will you help me get better?
2) Why did you decide to become a therapist?
3) What is your training/education background? Are you licensed?
4) How do you keep your personal beliefs from impacting your work with clients?
5) What should I do to get the most out of our work together?
As these questions imply, you can (and should) interview your therapist as if he or she is applying for a job. You’re an important person and deserve a therapist that will treat you as such, so you’re not only listening for the content of the answers but also watching to see how the therapist fields your questions. If the questions appear to be a burden, that should tell you something! Additionally, watch or listen for these potential “red flags” on the part of your therapist:
1) Chronic watch or clock checking
2) Overuse of cliche expressions (you should not have to pay someone to tell you “It is what it is”)
3) Overuse of cliche questions (the therapist should help you identify how something makes you feel not ask you outright)
4) Talking about his or her personal experiences
5) Lack of eye contact
This list is not exhaustive of course, but by keeping these things in mind you will be better able to tell if you’ve got a good therapist or perhaps a not-so-good one. For treatment to be successful, you and your therapist will need to build a rapport built on a positive, professional relationship that is above all else grounded in trust. Remember the "Rule of T's": Without trust, treatment is in trouble!
