Welcome to therapy!!

Is therapy the next step?

Maybe? When I first meet a client I am always curious about what happened that made therapy the next step. Therapy has such a stigma depending on the perspective you take: financial, cultural, spiritual or religious. These stigmas can hold us back from seeking out the support that could potentially change the choices you make or the relationships you have. So I say why not meet a therapist and ask some questions and see if what stimga says is true for you.

How to meet your therapist.

You have decided that therapy is the next step and you have scheduled an intake appointment or phone consultation with your perspective therapist. What next? My suggestion is to ask questions. The relationship you build with your therapist is the most important part of therapy. Can you trust this person? Are they being honest with you and sharing their professional opinion? Are they listening to you? Is that judgement behind their eyes?

Here is a short list of questions to ask that might help you get to know the therapist and see if your personality and theirs is a good fit:

• What do the letters after your name mean?

• What does a therapy session with you look like? Or How does a therapy session with you work?

• What kind of understanding do you have of a problem/concern like mine?

• How long have you worked as a therapist?

• How do you take care of yourself?