Family help: What are the things to look for when choosing a therapist? - Help.com

If your problem can be talked out, remember then the problem isnt clinical, as in a physical problem with your brain. Psychologists vary in quality and cost and youre best bet is to just post your problem. There is a medium to high chance it can be worked on here.

I don’t know if randp knows what he’s talking about because that isn’t very good advice.

If therapy is recommended, then it should be pursued. You need a behavioral therapist, so you should look online for therapists in your area, see if they have websites (many do) and whether they have good recommendations. Ask whomever diagnosed you with you anxiety disorder to recommend you someone. And explain to both your doctor and whomever you talk to next that you’ve had poor therapy experiences and what you’re looking for.

If it continues to happen that your therapists aren’t working out then you might want to evaluate yourself as a patient. Sometimes when we’re uncomfortable with being wrong or opening up, we blame other people.

Good luck!

I cannot see where you are, but here in the UK it is possible to get Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on the NHS - see your doctor for a referal to the psych near you. I had a course of ten sessions and it has been a help. So a good therapist should just need to see you around that number of times to assess you and then go through the course of techniques you apply yourself. Chances are big variations in that course of treatment are not a good indicator - more is like analysis and less is probably not enough is my guess.

Hope this helps.

I have to agree with AF. If you have been refered to a therapist… then go see one. There are many different styles of therapy. What is it that you are looking to accomplish? There’s Freudian psychoanalyst… Behavioral therapy as from Jung and Maslow…. there is Transpersonal Psychology as from Grof, and many others today. There’s somatic psychology where it’s a mind body treatment… etc. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is probably the most common today. The days of Freuding psychoanalyst, and laying on the couch spilling your guts is passing, and the ‘quick fix’ of behavioral psychology is hot. Although don’t get me wrong it’s not always a quick fix, but recommendations are made… transpersonal psychology has evolved from Behaviroal psychology to include mind, body and SPIRIT. Your primary question when seening a therapst is what form of Psychology do they practice. If they can not clearly tell you… then I wouldn’t see them at all.
Bright blessings ~R

Suggestion: read the book “Introducing Psychotherapy” by Nigel Benson. It’s fun with lots of cartoons but at the same time explains all the different types of therapies and gives tips on how to choose a therapist.