Finding the Right Fit

Your relationship with your therapist is one of the most significant and fundamental aspects of the therapeutic process. Your therapist fills a unique role in your life: she is the individual who provides an objective view of your relationship with your significant other. He assists you in making your own decisions about your career path. She hears things that you may not have ever told anyone else in your life.

As with any other individual, each therapist or counselor is different. He or she brings different qualities, perspectives and experiences to your sessions. You will not mesh with every therapist and not every therapist will mesh with you. In their book Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, authors Robert W. Firestone, Ph.D, Lisa Firestone, Ph.D, and Joyce Catlett, MA state that "a therapist who is effective and compatible with one person may not be with another person." That is normal and that is perfectly okay. What is important is that your therapist is compatible with you. Finding the right person to fit your needs is key. 

What is most important to me as a professional, is that my clients and perspective clients can get their therapeutic needs met appropriately. In order to help establish this at the beginning, I offer a free, initial 20-30 minute, face-to-face consultation where we have the opportunity to decide if a therapeutic relationship can and will be pursued. If we decide that we can work together, then an appointment will be scheduled. If not, no hard feelings. I will provide you a list of referrals to other professionals who may be able to assist you. 

A good therapist should be supportive and understanding, even if he or she is not your therapist. Shop around and find someone who fits your needs. You wouldn't go to see a dentist if what you really needed was an orthopedist, even though they are both doctors, would you? 

The Healing Power of the Therapeutic Relationship

Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a Therapist