Your therapist should be someone you trust and feel comfortable opening up to. After all, you might discuss some uncomfortable topics, like personal or painful experiences. If you realize that your counselor isn’t a good fit for you during the process of therapy, it is okay to switch. Generally, a therapist will have information about other providers better suited to your needs.
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Reliability
The therapist you work with should be someone you feel comfortable opening up to. During sessions, you may discuss sensitive topics not often shared with anyone outside of family and close friends. If your connection with a particular therapist isn’t proper, don’t be afraid to “audition” them for a session or two. Most therapists would welcome this opportunity to see how they fit with you as a client. An experienced psychotherapist in Toronto will be licensed as a clinical professional in the state where they practice. They should also be certified in psychotherapy. You should be able to verify their credentials by calling their licensing board or contacting their employer’s Employee Assistance Program for information. In addition to credentials, a therapist must have sensitivity toward your gender, sexual orientation, religion, and cultural background. This should be evident both verbally and non-verbally. This is especially important for individuals from marginalized groups, such as those identifying as LGBTQIA and BIPOC.
Flexibility
Psychological flexibility has been associated with a variety of psychological well-being dimensions. However, its causal status has yet to be established due to the challenges of measuring it. One helpful approach involves the explicit manipulation of flexibility processes, ideally within a randomized controlled trial and subsequent measurement of changes in psychological health. Alternatively, ecological momentary assessments allow therapists to measure flexibility during treatment. While these measures can be informative, their limitations require further research designs to investigate whether changes in flexible responding mediate the outcomes of the mix of therapy brands typically used in routine psychotherapy. Gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, and cultural background are additional factors to consider when choosing a therapist. These characteristics may affect your comfort level working with the therapist and how you feel about them. A therapist who has the same gender, religious beliefs, and cultural background as you may be more relatable to you.
Honesty
Honesty is a moral virtue that encompasses positive traits like integrity and truthfulness. It promotes trust, facilitates relationships, strengthens organizations and societies, and prevents harm. People who prioritize honesty over comfort, even when it feels disloyal, often experience greater psychological and physical well-being than those who tell lies. It’s essential to choose a counselor who is honest and willing to admit when they make a mistake. They should also be open to receiving feedback and be able to empathize with their client’s feelings. A growing literature on dishonesty in psychotherapy suggests that high levels of self-concealment have harmful long-term consequences. This study adds to this literature by exploring client motives, perceived effects, and attitudes toward fostering disclosure in therapy. The findings suggest that tailoring treatment for clients with different patterns of self-concealment could facilitate more honest disclosure. This could have clinical and methodological implications.
Experience
Finding a therapist with experience in treating your struggling issues is essential. While credentials are necessary, you must feel comfortable with and trust the therapist with whom you will work. The initial session is an opportunity to get to know the therapist and determine if they are a good fit for you. Psychiatrists, for example, have medical training that qualifies them to prescribe medication. However, most psychiatrists seek additional training to become licensed as psychotherapists. This means they must complete several years of supervised practical experience before becoming licensed to practice psychotherapy. A recent study found that therapist experience was significantly associated with internalizing client outcomes. This relationship was attenuated in studies that used manualized treatment protocols but only in those with such protocols.
