How Do I Know if a Particular Counselor is Right for Me?

It’s hard enough to decide to even go to counseling, then you have to figure out which one to see too!

Many people don’t know where to start or how to decide who to see. But this is a pretty important decision considering you will be telling this person some very personal things about yourself!

You can start with your insurance website if you absolutely must use insurance. But the insurance website may tell you only a little bit about each counselor listed, and some insurance websites are not up to date. You’ll still have to find another way to get some more information to pick the right counselor for you.

Another great way to find a counselor is to get a referral from a friend-maybe they have had a good experience with a counselor in the past. You can also get a referral from your doctor or some other professional. And you can find someone on Google too.

Once you’ve got some names, find out all you can about the counselor by going to their website or directory listing such as Psychology Today. Their website should tell you a little about who they are and the kind of client that they treat. Psychology Today has filters you can use to narrow down your search-type of insurance, type of client, type of therapy, etc.

Talk with them on the phone-they may offer a free, brief consult. Ask questions and just notice if you feel comfortable talking with the counselor. You are not obligated to schedule with them right away. Ask the counselor what they treat and how much experience they have with the condition you’re calling about. You can ask them what will happen in a session and how they treat certain conditions. The counselor should also ask you some questions about what you’re wanting out of counseling.

Decide if you would feel comfortable talking to this person about serious and personal issues. If you don’t feel comfortable, keep looking. It can be a difficult search, but once you find the right counselor it will have been worth it!