Finding the right therapist is one of the most important things when you are embarking on your healing journey! But how do you know if the therapist you are considering working with is right for you? In the video above, I'm sharing my thoughts on the things that are important for an effective therapeutic relationship and giving you some questions to consider in order to ensure that the therapist you choose can help you achieve your treatment goals.
If video isn't your thing then you can read the full transcript below! And, if you want to know if I could be the right therapist for you, then schedule a consultation call and let's find out!
~ Robin
How To Find The Right Therapist For You
Transcript:
Hi there! I'm Robin Risso, licensed marriage and family therapist, and I wanted to talk to you about how do you figure out who's the right therapist for you.
Is it about the modality? Is it about their experience? Is it about if they take your insurance or where you meet with them or who else might be involved? Well, all of that might be true, but all of the evidence says that the things that are most important are your relationship with your therapist. So it's important that whoever you choose, it's someone you think you can build a relationship with and trust. Someone who you're going to be willing to talk about that stuff that you don't want to talk to anyone else about. The stuff that's hard, that makes you vulnerable.
I know It's hard, it's hard to talk about that stuff. And yes, it's important that the person be licensed, it's important that the person be someone who is clinically strong and ethically responsible, but those two things and the relationship are the most important. So, it is someone who listens to you, who is willing to support you in the work that you want to do, but also will help you to be challenged and pushed a little bit to help you to get to where you want to end up.
I always ask the same question of everybody when we start. How will you know you're done with therapy? Because therapy is meant to be something that for many people is just for a short period in their life, not for their whole life. And, you know, some of us have different challenges.
Here at Moonlight Ranch we have horses and you're hearing a donkey in the background. And this might not be the environment for you. This is where I work a lot of the time and that's okay.
It's also okay to realize at some point this person you haev been working with has been an awesome support to me but they're just not what I need anymore. I've likened it before to having a pair of shoes. Sometimes you love the shoes and you think they're great but after a while they just don't fit comfortably anymore, and that's ok.
So all things for you to consider as you figure out who you want to work with as your therapist, and longer term, who's helping you get where you want to be.