How to Choose a Therapist?
 

Hello,

You may have seen my other thread about threapy.
(http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=16297) It was very informative and I thank you very much.

I have been saving for quite a while now and have a little over $400 dollars allocated for therapy. I called my insurance and found out that I am covered 100% on in and out of network councelors with an MD or Phd and can go up to 52 times a year.

I called the guy that my doctor recomended (they both work in the same bulding under the same organization), but he isn't an MD or Phd.

I'd rather have a female counceloranyways.

Any advice on finding and choosing a therapist?
Thanks.

you could start with the person recommended to you by your doctor, explain insurance constraints, and ask them to recommend a colleague with the proper credentials. otherwise, the phone book is a place to begin...call and ask to set up an interview, or an intake, and ask about the credentials of the doctors there, what sorts of clients they typically see, and anything else you want to know. really, you can choose a therapist as you would a car mechanic...sorry, that's a rough metaphor, but go with me for a moment. mechanics usually come recommended, right? if you know someone who likes their therapist, consider that therapist or ask for references on others from that therapist. otherwise, call and ask for "quotes" and expertise...right? right.

bottom line, if you end up with a therapist with whom you're uncomfortable, change therapists. you are paying for a service, and have the right to be happy with that service. it took me a long time to find a good therapist--and then we had to terminate due to circumstances beyond control...and i got stuck with one that i didn't particularly like. i ended up quitting therapy, but that was the right choice for me. make sure that your choices are right--and if not, change them.

good luck...i hope some of that helped.

Pretty good insurance you've got there...

Anyway, recommendations from friends is probably the best way to go, though I'd trust best those friends who actually seem to be in good mental health these days.

One thing: most people have the idea that therapy is something that goes on and on. I know I did. But when I did go to a therapist for something, she (yes) looked me over and said, "I think we'll try six visits and see where we are at that point." I was paying my own way. After six visits, I found she'd helped me over the hump I'd been having trouble climbing, and I went on from there on my own. So keep that in mind when negotiating with your shrink. Tell them what the problem seems to be, set some reasonable and practical goals together, and a time frame within which to continue whether to continue on or stop. If they're not open to that, then I might question whether it's your mental health or your insurance that he/she is most interested in.

I can't imagine *any* non-Freudian therapist that wouldn't set up what you are describing--a treatment plan. This is a goal-setting contract that sets forth the issues that will be worked on and the planned time frame in which to achieve them. As therapy progresses, the therapist and client can revise the plan as needed.

Insurance constraints and good therapeutic practice usually dictate the use of a treatment plan.

I'm counseling caution because he's got better insurance than other people, and thus is more of a target for the unprincipled or incompetent therapist. Where I live, we've got a few of those.

There is alot of guidelines to a good therapist on the net, just Google it and read up some.

I personally found mine by luck, and he's a great guy. I'd say if you don't like them the first time you're there, there is no way you're going to open up to him/her. It has lots of trial and error finding a good one also, so just stick in there until you meet someone that you think will help *you*.

Good luck.