When you really want to make changes, meet your goals, improve your relationships or resolve nagging issues, research shows that the most important thing to make therapy or counseling effective is something call “goodness of fit.” That’s a Psychology term for how well you and your therapist ‘click’ together.
You know what it feels like when you ‘click’ with someone. Like when you first met your best friend, or your future spouse. It’s this amazing moment of things “oh, here’s my person!”
Another to put this is that if you feel that your therapist “gets” you and you feel safe opening up to them and comfortable being vulnerable (which is essential to make changes and meet goals in counseling).
So how do you find this magical person? The good news is that there are a plethora of great therapists in Denver. The bad news is that there are a plethora of therapists in Denver, and that can be overwhelming. It can be really, really difficult to find a great fit, but here’s some tips to make the process easier:
Narrow Down your Criteria
It’s more than okay to have preferences (and ‘must-haves’) for a therapist you are considering working with. You may prefer someone older (or younger), or a man versus a woman. You may look for someone with a particular background (like someone that’s a parent, or is trained in a specific type of therapy). Make a small list of your preferences as a jumping-off point.
Make it easy on yourself
Counseling is hard enough; you’re sitting in a room with a stranger, baring your secrets and really getting into the nitty-gritty of your ‘stuff.’ So you want to make it easy on yourself in terms of logistics.
Check to see if the therapist you’re eyeing has time slots that work for you in an ongoing way. Check their office location to make sure you can easily get there (and park! as we all know, parking can be a nightmare in Denver). Does the office look comfortable and relaxing? There’s lots of great office space available all over Denver, no need to sit in a dark, cramped office.
Probably most importantly; can you afford it or does this therapist work with your insurance plan? If you’re going to be stressed about the investment of the counseling in the first place, it doesn’t set you up well to reach your goals.
Therapist’s fees should be very clearly stated on their website (if they aren’t, then give it a pass), as well as clear language about whether they take insurance or not. If they don’t take your insurance, ask the therapist about how they can assist you in being reimbursed by your insurance company by submitting paperwork on your behalf (most insurance plans do cover counseling in one way or another, and your therapist should help you navigate this). We do this at Thrive Counseling as a service to our clients, and they say it’s been incredibly helpful in budgeting and making sure that the investment in therapy counts towards their deductible (if they have one).
Ask The Right Questions
During that first phone call or in-person meeting, the therapist will be asking you a lot of questions; about you, how you have been feeling, what your goals are, where you’ve been getting stuck or hurting, etc. But in a good consultation, you should also be invited and encouraged to ask questions. This is your opportunity to “interview” for the job of being your therapist (a very important role!). So grab that opportunity to ask the right questions to really see if this therapist is the one for you. Here’s some ideas to get your started:
Do you help clients like me?
How do you help them?
What are some examples of tools, strategies or techniques you think would be helpful for me?
How do you measure progress with your clients?
Do you write a treatment plan and when do we go over it together?
What’s your experience in helping people with my specific issue?
Make The First Move
Now it’s time to act. There’s no getting around it; you have to make that call, send that email, or click the Contact Us button on the website.
To get what you’ve never gotten, you have to do what you’ve never done.
Maybe for you that’s being vulnerable. Maybe it’s letting a professional evaluate your life-long anxiety, or voice those deep, dark and depressing thoughts. Maybe it’s entertaining the idea that you’re worth it; you’re worth putting in the effort to heal. Maybe it’s asking for help in leaving a bad relationship, or becoming a better you to finally find that right relationship.
Whatever it is for you, we are cheering you on. Whether that’s with us at Thrive Counseling, or elsewhere. We want you to get where you’re going. We’d love to help. Contact Us for a free consultation.