How To Choose A Competent Therapist
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Title: HOW TO CHOOSE A COMPETENT THERAPIST Author: Dave
Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW E-mail:
mailto:editor@overcoming-depression.com Copyright: by Dave
Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Web Address:
http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com Word Count: 960 Category:
Mental Health
HOW TO CHOOSE A COMPETENT THERAPIST
I received a disturbing email this week. It's one of many on the
same theme which I have received over time, so I knew it was
time to address this issue. Here's the story.
A young lady's boyfriend went to see a doctor for depression.
She shared with me that the doctor apparently said he has "Level
8 Depression" and that he spends too much time with his
girlfriend. The girlfriend states she sends him daily emails for
support of his depression and they date on the weekends and
that's it. She wanted to know my opinion.
Hmmm...
I explained, first of all, that there is no such thing as "Level
8 Depression." And, secondly, I had entirely too little
information to be making any judgment about their relationship.
If the information I received is accurate, shame on that doctor.
No wonder so many are cynical about the therapy and psychiatry
profession. Good golly!
Here's a great example of the kind of client I would want you to
be. I will call him Sam. Sam and I haven't met yet, but he
emailed me locally from here in Indianapolis where I practice
and asked me to give him a call. I called him. He said he was
interested in marriage counseling. We proceeded to talk for
about minutes. First we had the usual small talk to warm up the
conversation, then he asked about my credentials and licensing.
I explained that I am state licensed and nationally certified.
Then he asked how much experience I had, which is years. Later
in the conversation he asked what made me an "expert" in
marriage counseling, what model I use and what success couples
were experiencing through counseling with me.
These were absolutely excellent questions! You should never be
afraid to ask vital questions like these. Sam apologized once or
twice for asking so many questions. My response each time was
that I was flattered to answer all his questions and I told him
that I would do exactly the same thing were I him.
Would you go see a podiatrist for a heart condition or a
veterinarian who fancied himself to be a pulmonary specialist?
Of course not, but if you are not your own advocate and sleuth
that may be just what happens when it comes to your mental
health.
Finally, Sam asked what I thought about seeing a couple from a
different cultural background. I told him that as long as they
didn't mind teaching me cultural customs I may be ignorant of,
that I would be fine. Then I asked him how that would be for
them. By that time we had talked for nearly twenty minutes. We
had established a rapport. He said, "Based on how our
conversation has gone thus far, I believe you're the right fit
for us."
The only sad part about this story is that is doesn't occur
nearly enough. I wished more clients would call or email and
interview me just like Sam did. Some therapists never even talk
to clients before the first interview. Someone else may do the
intake for them. If a therapist won't talk to you directly if
you request it, take heed!
Besides the valuable information from both stories, I want to
give you clear guidelines on how to proceed with receiving the
right help from the right professional.
First, you cannot beat a personal referral. In fact, % of my
referrals are word-of-mouth. I was interviewed on a radio talk
show at the beginning of this year. From that one hour on the
air, several clients have found their way to me. So, Keep your
eyes and ears open for professionals who are headlined on the
local news, radio and in the newspaper.
Many of my clients both online and off have referred to me as a
"friend" at some point in our work together. I cannot think of a
better compliment. However, though I am a good guy and a good
therapist, you certainly would not want to ask me for help if
you have bulimia (an eating disorder). Why? I don't have any
expertise in this area. Make sense? So make sure that the person
your going to consult with, online or off, has expertise in your
area of need.
Certainly check that your potential helper is appropriately
certified and/or licensed. Keep in mind that unless a
psychiatrist has obtained training to provide psychotherapy,
they DO NOT receive this as part of their medical training. As a
rule of thumb, psychiatrists are trained in evaluation and
medication.
So many of you are looking for professional consultation online
today. There are several things to look for. There are beginning
regulatory guidelines for those practicing on the net. My site
Overcoming Depression is an information and resource site only.
However, if you were looking at the site where I offer
professional email consultation (CounselingPros.com) you would
first note that there is a picture of me listed up top and
right. Underneath that are my credentials and a link for you to
verify them with the state of Indiana Health Profession's
Bureau. Scroll down and you will see my toll-free number where
you can actually call to see if I'm a real person ;-) Some
professionals also choose to list their snail mail address. For
privacy issues (junk mail mostly) I do not do this. For an
exhaustive resource on securing the best online help I have
written a book entitled, "The Online Counseling Consumer's
Guide." It's on the CounselingPros.com site, it's an e- book and
it's free. Help yourself.
Remember, the care you choose and receive is initially your
responsibility. You deserve no less than the best. Go out and
get it!