Tips on finding an excellent therapist?

[ThePoint]

I am looking for a therapist/psychologist/psychotherapist to help with my depression, anxiety, and paranoia. 

I’ve already wasted a lot of time and money on other therapists that did not help at all, they themselves seemed confused in every session.

So I’m looking for the best ones.

I went through the IFS practitioner directory, and maxed the filter out to Level 3, Approved Clinical IFS Consultant, Availability: “Accepting new clients” and there was so many options I didn’t go what to pick from. I went through each individual person and their focus didn’t seem to fit mine. 

Perhaps all the good ones are fully booked?

How do I know who to pick?

[ThePoint]

@Ulax Do you have any tips or advice?  

[PepperBlossoms]

You could ask them how they assist with anxiety/depression/paranoia and see who's answer you like the best and go with that person.

If it was me, I would want someone who was able to point out the things that I am doing that are self-harming myself, things I am overlooking, traps with my thinking, better strategies to have, trying to get to the root of the issue of this is causing this is causing this, and how to heal/work through that, working through my anger/shame/guilt/insecurity/negativity/sadness/anxiety, looking at my coping skills and getting rid of the bad ones and replacing with better ones, how to take responsibility for my actions/thoughts/feelings and to stop being a victim and blaming others, finding my values/passion and how to transition to doing more of that and getting rid of the stuff I don't enjoy, how to find the positive in a situation, how to use more perspectives and recontextualize things, etc. 

I have found books to be super helpful and online support groups and also reddit's mental health pages and also just writing thoughts down.

Ups and downs come all the time and sometimes that just means that it is a situation that we haven't yet figured out how to deal with and so it is going to keep being shitty until we find a solution and so all the more reason to try to find one.

Edited August 14, 2022 by PepperBlossoms

[Raze]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychologically-minded/201604/how-choose-therapist

[Flowerfaeiry]

One of my favorite therapists had a degree in contemplative psychotherapy and the other was trained in Somatic Experiencing. If you can afford the higher price point I recommend going the Somatic Experiencing route. Traumahealing.org has a directory. Other than that it can be a process of trial and error. May therapists do a free consultation to see if you will be a good fit.

[Ulax]

9 hours ago, ThePoint said:

@Ulax Do you have any tips or advice?  

@ThePoint Hey, it might be that the 'IFS clinical consultant' filtering you are doing might be cutting a lot of folks out. I don't actually know what an IFS clinical consultant is.

Re selecting a therapist I would go with someone who you feel you can best relate to, feel safe with and importantly specialises in your area of need, i.e. if someone had dissociation they would be smart to go with someone who specialised in dissociation. Also, I'd recommend finding someone who says they work with trauma, if trauma is what you are looking to deal with.

If none of the level 3s fit, then I'd recommend checking out level 2s.

Finally, I'd ask for an 'initial consultation'. Its like a trial session.

[ThePoint]

13 hours ago, Ulax said:

Hey, it might be that the 'IFS clinical consultant' filtering you are doing might be cutting a lot of folks out. I don't actually know what an IFS clinical consultant is.

@Ulax It’s one of the filters in the directory. “Approved IFS Clinical Consultant”.

13 hours ago, Ulax said:

Finally, I'd ask for an 'initial consultation'. Its like a trial session.

For free right? Should I offer a duration? Like 15 min?

[Tyler Robinson]

18 hours ago, Ulax said:

Re selecting a therapist

Whats the meaning of "Re?" 

[Ulax]

@Tyler Robinson Its a shorthand for saying regarding

[Ulax]

5 hours ago, ThePoint said:

@Ulax It’s one of the filters in the directory. “Approved IFS Clinical Consultant”.

For free right? Should I offer a duration? Like 15 min?

@ThePoint I understand re the filter. What I'm trying to say is I don't think its important that they be, 'Approved IFS Clinical Consultant'. So by selecting that filter I think you are potentially missing out on suitable therapists. As always that's just my opinion though. If you decide you want an, 'Approved IFS Clinical Consultant', then its all good.

Regarding the second sentence, in my experience most therapists/ practioners offer a free consultation, and I thinks its always worth asking for them. I think generally they are around 15 - 10 minutes. However, I've had ones which are 45 minutes.

Regarding what you could message potential therapists, you could state what your preference would be, 'I.e. I would prefer to have an initial consultation session that lasts X minutes' (you pick what X is). Then can say, 'However, I understand you may have a pre-existing policy regarding this.' 

[Matt23]

I remember reading a study (abstract, I didn't go full-depth I think) concluding that the most important factor for successful therapy isn't, as is widely believed, the amount of connection between the therapist and client, but is rather the degree to which the client can become aware, track, and have clarity around their internal feelings during therapy.  

 

[Sanguine]

I understand the struggle man. Finding the right person, with which you connect with, and is skilled, is hard. Not even to talk about the waiting lists (in my country anyway).

First of all. The method that they are using is VERY important if the therapy will work for you. So my tips: 

1. Pick a therapy method (or combinations)
the method is key. so look up for therapy options that fit your problem and your style. If you're very mind orientated, stay away from that and focus on bodily focused therapy (Somatic Experiencing for example). Get a good view of the methods and see what feels right. 
2. google these kinds of therapists. 
In my opinion, independent, nun-funded therapists are way better (since they don't need the reimbursement from the social security companies to get clients)
3. browse through there sites, articles and other content. 
4. Schedule acquantance calls with 5. 
5. Do a 1:1 with the ones you like.

Just see it as how girls are on tinder: swiping, googling if he's nog crazy, chatting a bit to see if he's got any substance, going on some dates, choose the one which you connect with.

Oh yeah, in regards to price. Fuck it. Good therapy is priceless. And a good therapist can get you somewhere in 1 hour where another one needs three. 

Hope this helps. Best of luck!