Finding the Right Therapist: It's Not Just About the Approach
Therapy encompasses a variety of approaches and methods, each offering a unique set of tools for therapists. For instance, there are Gestalt therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), transactional analysis, symbol drama, and others.
Each has its unique features. However, they all share a common root—they originated from psychoanalysis. They also share a common goal—to help the client become the main character of their life, to learn to better understand their emotions and thoughts.
Why isn’t the approach in psychotherapy the main criterion for choosing a therapist, and what else is important?
We decided to outline other criteria that are important to consider when choosing your therapist.
Basic and Qualification Education
Basic education is a state-standard diploma for completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in psychology/psychotherapy/psychiatry.
Qualification education is obtaining postgraduate education in one of the chosen approaches. For example, Gestalt or existential therapy.
Inner Feelings Don’t Lie
When you come to the first sessions with a therapist, pay attention to your own feelings during the session with this specialist. Of course, psychotherapy is not always pleasant, and there are moments that can cause resistance, denial, or anger. And that’s normal. But if you notice that there is no understanding between you and the therapist, we recommend looking for another specialist.
For example, if you constantly rationalize everything, ponder, look for cause-and-effect connections, but at the same time feel nothing or do not understand your emotions—most likely, approaches that work not with cognitions (thoughts) but with the body and feelings will suit you.
- These can be art therapy, body-oriented therapy, existential therapy, client-centered, and Gestalt.
If you find it difficult to catch your thoughts, start acting, express your own emotions through words, an approach that primarily works with thinking will suit you: CBT, schema therapy, transactional analysis.
Today, there are many specialists who work in a multimodal approach. That is, they mix different approaches, techniques, and knowledge for the benefit of the client. Therefore, when a client chooses only one approach as the only correct one, it can limit the results of therapy. Sometimes the chosen method may not be universal or may not work with your request.
Cost of Therapy
Freud once said that free therapy doesn’t work. Why? It has no value for the client. In fact, when a client comes for a consultation, the money they pay for it is motivation for their own work on themselves. After all, therapy is not a magic wand or a pill. It is a tool that, when used correctly, can improve the quality of life.
At the same time, the cost of consultations should be significant for you, but still comfortable as a stable expense. Otherwise, the costs of therapy can become an additional stress.
This translation aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the importance of choosing the right therapeutic approach and therapist, emphasizing the significance of personal feelings and the value of therapy in one’s life.