Finding a Therapist

Psychology Today has a very helpful search engine to assist you in locating a therapist: www.psychologytoday.com You can search by many criteria: gender of the therapist, populations with which the therapist works – that is gender, orientation, religion, etc.; issues – addiction, relationships, anxiety, depression, etc.; type of insurance accepted, if any, sliding or no sliding scale, and more. Take time to study the site and choose the criteria that is important to you. Read carefully the personal statement of the therapist. Many also have links to their professional website; read what they have written.

Open Path Collective is a network of therapists who have generously agreed to provide in-office treatment for $30 to $50 a session (between $30 and $80 for couples and families). Open Path clients pay a one-time membership fee to work with an Open Path therapist at a significantly reduced rate.

Selecting a therapist is just as important as the choice to get into therapy. Confidence and trust in your therapist are essential.

The therapist you work with works for you; remember that. So, take the time to be selective. Choose someone who has the knowledge base and experience to address what you are bringing to the consulting room.

There are various types of licensed psychotherapists: Marriage and Family, Licensed Professional Counselors*, Clinical Social Workers, Clinical Pastoral Therapists, and Clinical Psychologists. All may work with individuals and couples. Of these therapists, only clinical psychologists may do testing for the purpose of diagnosing a mental disorder when clinical testing is required to make a definitive diagnosis. The others diagnose according to the formulas of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychological Association. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are the only ones at this time, in the states in which our synod resides, who may and do prescribe medications to address certain mental illnesses. The vast majority of psychiatrists do not do talk therapy. They only prescribe and monitor medications. You may want to consider having your psychiatrist and talk therapist collaborate with each other so that they can provide you with well-informed and consistent care (this is accomplished through a Release of Information form signed by you through them).

There are important considerations when selecting a therapist. If a person has experienced trauma (example: ongoing verbal/physical abuse in childhood, sexual abuse, military or civilian violence), it is important to know what training the therapist has had in treating trauma. It is perfectly appropriate to ask, “What training or certifications do you have in treating this; how many continuing education hours were involved in your training?” This is above and beyond the class hours taken for their academic degree. If you hear objection or resentment in answering your question, you will know that this is not the therapist for you.

It is vitally important that the therapist has been in their own therapy, that they have sat in the seat of the client/patient. Ask if they would be willing to tell you a bit about their own experience in therapy, and when they last saw their therapist or consulted a colleague about a personal matter. You are not asking what that matter was, just asking about their experience. A competent therapist who has done his/her work will be happy to tell you. Anything else indicates too many psychological defenses to do the deeper work in therapy.

It is always appropriate to send a note or call and ask if you may set a 15 minute complementary phone conversation to interview the therapist.

A competent therapist will listen well, empathize with your experience, and also at some point challenge HOW you think about WHAT you think. An excellent therapist will do the aforementioned AND help you access both MIND and HEART. An exceptional therapist will do all of the aforementioned AND teach you about the role of the brain and neurochemicals as they interface with experience, thinking, and feeling.

When being challenged by a therapist, it is natural to feel some resistance. Try to be aware of your reaction. Without this awareness it is possible for our brains to put blame or resentment on the therapist, and in some cases, we might stop going to therapy. As long as the therapist's tone is empathetic and understanding, then do your best to take their feedback as objectively as possible. Breaking through that resistance can open a path to the change that brought you to therapy in the first place.

Let your therapist know what is working for you in therapy. Let them know what is NOT working for you in therapy. If you can feel their heart wanting to work with you and they express a desire to have therapy be a cooperative venture, then stay with the therapist. If not, you may need to move on.

If you would like a brief consult as you choose a therapist, please give me a call.

The Rev. Brian Hooper, M.Div., M.S., Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapist, TN Lic. #54

Member – Southeastern Synod, ELCA

615-485-5923