Tips to Finding the Perfect Therapist

When you have an anxiety disorder, it is important to seek help in order to overcome your issues. Many of us learn to live with our anxieties, but those who suffer from a disorder should always look to find support. Being able to overcome these anxieties should be a priority. The problem with dealing with our anxieties is that we need to find the right form of treatment. For some, the best treatment option would be to see a therapist.

However, as you might already know, finding a therapist is no easy task. You need to be able to locate the right person, to find someone that you can trust. There are various types of therapists, and making sure you find someone who connects with you on a personal level is very important. To help you work towards finding a solution, then, use these tips to help find the perfect therapist for yourself.

What are anxiety disorders?

Before you do anything else, though, you should probably look to better understand what an anxiety disorder actually is. Typically, anxiety disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among other things.

There are many anxiety-adjacent problems that you can have in your day-to-day life that are hard to overcome. One thing to remember about having such a disorder, though, is that you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorders, and often the only way to overcome these things is to find help from a professional. 

The main thing to remind yourself, then, is that anxiety disorders are far more common than they might first appear. It is important to recognise this, as many suffer from anxiety disorder and feel weak for doing so. Having such issues in your life, though, are commonplace for many of us. With that in mind, it is easier to accept your disorder and work towards finding a solution. 

The first place to start when searching out treatment options would be your doctor. However, for many people, therapy is the ideal next step. While your medical doctor may be able to treat you, another important person in your life should be your therapist. Make sure you find the best therapist possible to treat your condition by using the following tips. 

The simple tips to finding the best therapist 

Always start with recommendations 

First, look for a therapist that is recommended by others. The best form of advertising is word of mouth, because you can be sure that the therapist is skilled and has helped others in the past. Nobody would recommend a therapist using word of mouth if they did not believe that they could not live up to expectation. 

You can ask your doctor for recommendations, but others suffering from anxiety disorders will probably be able to tell you even more about therapists in the area. A doctor can only really provide so much in terms of additional detail; a patient, though, will know much more about the therapist and their qualities. 

You can contact other patients with anxiety disorder by going to support groups, which are often offered at your local community center or hospital. You might also find social media groups and chat groups online that are focused on local therapeutic solutions. 

Some people use remote therapy, but it is recommended that you look to find a therapist whom you can connect with locally. This is much more likely to appeal to those who want to talk about their anxiety face-to-face with someone as opposed to through e-mail or video chat. 

Look for a relevant treatment type 

Another great tip for finding the perfect therapist is to look for someone specifically advocating the kind of treatment that interests you. Finding a therapist who actively deals with the disorders that you are trying to overcome makes a lot of sense. This can have a lasting and positive impact on your ability to get things done and see meaningful progress.

For example, if you want to talk about your problems and try to understand your thought process and reasoning behind your anxiety, a therapist specializing in cognitive therapy will probably work best for you.

By the same token, if you want to overcome a specific phobia, a therapist interested in desensitization may work best instead. There are a number of different kinds of treatments, and if you have a specific kind in mind, be sure to find a therapist advocating that kind of treatment.

It might take a little bit of research to work out the right therapist type for your own personal needs here, but it is a battle worth going through. You can, soon enough, find some great solutions for treatment types that will work out in your favour.  

Do not ignore the importance of convenience 

Lastly, when looking for a therapist consider more than personality—consider convenience. Although you of course want a therapist who is easy to talk to and friendly, you should also take into consideration how many patients he or she sees.

You need to have someone who can give you quality time, not just a set 45 minutes to an hour. This is because this will indicate the amount of time available to be spent on you. A good therapist is not always a busy therapist; sometimes, you want someone who can dedicate a bit more time and effort to helping you out.

Another factor is the time that it takes you to get to and from meetings. Often, you are trying to cram in a meeting with a therapist on a tight budget with regards to time. So, you want to try and be as time-intelligent as you can. So, be sure to look at the distance from his or her office to your home and consider a therapist who is willing to meet your specific needs. 

Making the right decision on your therapist 

It should be noted that every therapist is different, so someone who works well for another patient may not be the best choice for you. With that in mind, especially if you are dealing with anxieties, do not feel trapped into a therapist agreement. Do you feel like you are not making progress, or that there is not the correct atmosphere between you both? Then change to a different therapist. 

If you are unhappy with your therapist for any reason, remember that you can leave to look for a new therapist at any time. For the most stable treatment, find a therapist you like and stay with that therapist until you feel as though you have overcome your disorder. If you feel like your progress is limited or you are actually going backwards, though, changing therapists is a good idea.

Like any line of work, some therapists will be better – or more suited to you – than others. This is why you should focus on trying to make the right decision on therapists based on all of the above. If you focus on these factors, finding someone who can truly help you will become much easier.