Therapist Requirements For A Successful Therapeutic Relationship
Medically Reviewed By Whitney White, MS. CMHC, NCC., LPCTherapist Requirements
What makes a good therapist? How do you determine if therapy will be helpful?
It's normal to be nervous when starting therapy, but know that there are so many ways that therapy can help you improve your life. The first step is finding the right therapist. It'd be nice if every therapist out there was equal and you could randomly choose one from a list and know that it was going to be a good one. But, just like with any medical professional, that's not how it works. There are many parts to a successful therapist and finding the right therapist for you.
How To Find A Good Therapist
Remember that when you choose a therapist it's important that you know what requirements are important to you. There are some things on this list that will be important to you and others that won't be. Each person is unique which means that no one therapist is going to be the right fit for everyone.
Understand Education and Training
Psychologists typically have doctoral degrees with either a focus on clinical work or research. A psychologist that works directly with patients is most likely to have a degree with a focus on clinical work. Other therapists will have a minimum of a master's degree in counseling or a related field, like clinical social work or marriage and family therapy.
Look for a License
Most states and territories require practicing therapists to obtain and maintain a license issued by the state. These licenses require therapists who hold them to have a minimum education standard, comply with state laws and ethics, and maintain continuing education each year so that the therapist is in tune with the latest in research about their work.
Affordability
If you have a budget that you need to keep in mind because you'll be paying out of pocket then you need to find out what a therapist charges before you make an appointment. Make sure you ask about all the options. Some therapists will offer a sliding scale. This means the price of your appointment will be based on your income. This can help people with lower incomes still get the help they need with their mental health.
Experience
You want to find a therapist that is experienced in what you're going through. Before making an appointment, or during the first appointment, make sure to give them a quick explanation of why you are looking for therapy and ask what experience they have in the area.
Someone You're Comfortable With
To get the full benefit out of therapy you need to be working with someone with that you're comfortable sharing personal details. You will most likely be telling your therapist things that you haven't told other people or haven't shared with many people. You must be able to do this if you're going to make real breakthroughs in your treatment. If you are not comfortable with your therapist, then you're better off finding someone that you are comfortable with. This doesn't mean that there's something wrong with a therapist, but different personalities do better together. If you're not comfortable then you need to find someone else. Some research indicates that the relationship between therapist and client is a very important factor in the success of therapy outcomes.
High Levels of Therapist Confidentiality
The therapist you choose should have spelled out policies about privacy and confidentiality that they explain in both writing and verbally before your first session. It's common for therapists to ask for consent to inform insurance companies or other payers about your sessions to get payment, but the only time law permits a therapist to break confidentiality is if you are in danger, or in cases where they know of child abuse or neglect, or elderly abuse or neglect.
Availability
When looking for a therapist you want to find someone that's going to be available to meet with you soon. Even if a therapist is good you don't want to end up on a waiting list for months to get in for an appointment. Once you start meeting you want to be able to get in for regular appointments such as weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Talk to the therapist to find out what their availability is to make sure it matches your needs.
Therapist Finder
Once you know the requirements that you are looking for you still must find a therapist. There are a few easy strategies that you can use to find a therapist that will be a good match for you:
- Ask for recommendations - Try talking to family and friends to see if they have ever attended counseling sessions. If so, find out if they were pleased with their therapist. Personal recommendations can be very helpful in choosing who to work with.
- Check with your insurance company - If you have insurance that will cover some or all of the cost of your therapy sessions, you'll want to talk to the company. They will be able to provide you with a list of therapists that are in the network so their services will be covered.
- Search online - As with just about any professional, online searches can help find which one to work with. You will be able to find therapists that are in your area as well as therapists that have good reviews.
- Try an online service - There are online services that provide distance therapy sessions, such as BetterHelp. These companies have search features that help to match you up to a potential therapist.
Don't Delay in Taking Action
If you know that therapy could help your life improve don't wait to take action. Either start searching online for a therapist in your area that meets the requirements discussed in this blog post or consider an online service. Online or teletherapy could be a good match for you if you have a schedule that makes it difficult to get in for an appointment. It can also help save you money depending on what type of insurance and pay options are available for you. It's also a great fit for anyone uncomfortable with the idea of going to meet in person with someone. Some people with social anxiety prefer to do therapy through text or email.
Imagine what your life could be like if you were able to get the help you needed to overcome challenges and move forward. Start your search today!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you develop a therapeutic relationship?
There is no ultimate method to establishing a perfect therapeutic alliance between a client and therapist. To reinforce a therapeutic relationship, the therapist should get a secure attachment that is tailored to their patient. Some of the strategies to employ include:
- Help clients feel welcome.
- Understand that great psychotherapy relationships take a considerable amount of time to establish.
- Never adjudicate the client.
- Deal with your own emotions.
- Discuss the client's expectations from the therapy process.
- Ask different or more questions.
- Referral to a more competent therapist if you can't handle it.
- Prepare questions ahead.
- Focus on the needs of the client.
Some patients temporarily test therapy sessions and end up thinking, "Will my problems be solved by this therapeutic process?" Studies have shown that different factors determine the success of an excellent therapeutic procedure. Such as how serious the problem is, the patient's trust in the session, the competence of the treatment center, and the clinical practice mastery of the therapist in the required fields of endeavor.
A healthy therapeutic alliance and secure attachment are necessary to trust and understanding between a therapist and a patient. Even the setting for therapy location plays a role in communication, so it should be ideal and not plane like a press room.
Also, consistency is key in seeing results in therapy.
What factors contribute to therapeutic success?
Finding the Correct Therapist
From psychodynamic to cognitive-behavioral therapy, when you go out of your way to find a therapist, there are many philosophies out there that seek to court your attention. Making a distinction can be overwhelming, much less determining which method will work for you. You may want to discuss with someone who got the same type of therapy that addressed your issue, and this can make a big difference in your journey to seeking therapy.
Information from an Online review, a therapy blog, a treatment center, and health care suggestions can also guide you to avoid unhealthy therapeutic services.
Knowing Your Goals for Therapy
The initial therapy process can be overbearing and lack a secure attachment between the client and therapist. All the feelings and thoughts that you've been suppressing will be released after your first trial. Listing your goals for therapy will help you to find a suitable therapist.
Deliberately seeking to forge advantageous connections will help the therapist structure your objectives for seeking therapy to enjoy consistent results. This will help you assess your success and organize regular sessions to meet your goals and improve your work life.
Committing to the Process
Although therapy may make life easier for you, it's not a cakewalk. Change is scary, and sometimes, pieces of us still oppose the requisite transition.
It is your responsibility to see it through when you meet a nice therapist that understands the expectations you set for yourself. That may be room for personal growth when you would have given up because you could be just on the brink. If the process wearies you, confide in family members for advice on issues of depression when you need them to.
You should determine to be committed before you decide to find a therapist so your investment can be worth it.
Trust
A session is no press room, so clients should be certain that certain laws bind their therapist to confidentiality, all things being considered. So the patient can rest assured that their private information will not be on any therapy blog. Also, historical excursus measurements play a role in a strong therapeutic alliance.
Why is it important to establish a therapeutic relationship?
Building a good therapeutic relationship with your therapist is one crucial step in your recovery from unhealthy therapeutic practices, and this must include a trust that the relationship would be meaningful. For instance, a patient living with a depressive disorder should trust his/her therapist has the right clinical psychology skillset, knowledge, and drive to provide the necessary care. A therapist is always a better option for family members as they are qualified to help the patient.
What are the stages of a therapeutic relationship?
The following stages are necessary to form a strong therapeutic alliance.
Commitment
Commitment is the first stage that characterizes the period when the therapist and the patient decide to devote their energy, time, and ability to establish a good working relationship.
Process
This stage represents the most complicated stage and consists of the focal point of the treatment. The process can be categorized into three concurrent parts: the investigation of patterns, the acquisition of novel information, and the consolidation of the information acquired.
Change
The change phase is the conclusion of the process stage. For this stage to be effective, old pathological behaviors have to be replaced, and the new patterns formed sustained to reinforce the essence of the therapy. This implies the continual acceptance of mental hygiene practice and the lasting application of psychological methods for defensive purposes.
Termination
This stage involves the conclusion of the therapy session. At this stage, the therapist will recognize that his patient is now a fully independent, responsive individual that can make critical decisions on his own. This is the stage you should aim to reach before you go ahead to find a therapist.
What are the benefits of a therapeutic relationship?
Superior Sense of Self
Virtually everyone on the planet has a set of attitudes and beliefs about themselves, both negative and positive. Sometimes, without even realizing it, these mental ideals we have of ourselves would later become our unique identity, which can have unhealthy therapeutic implications.
Having a great therapeutic relationship helps the therapist and the patient by improving the client's notion of ourselves and our capabilities. And this becomes easier with the help of a good therapist.
Stronger Relationships
Beginning from when we were given birth, we start to have expectations from people. As we become more and more mature, we continue to understand ourselves about others better.
Having these understandings will go a long way if we are to form new and better relationships. And, of course, a good therapist knows the right buttons to press to make this work.
Hope
Hope is a common factor that can determine the direction of a therapy session. It may be one of your most prized possessions if you are seeking therapy for a persistent problem.
What are the therapeutic communication techniques?
Therapeutic communications techniques are methods that a therapist employs to effectively get the necessary information from his/her client that would be helpful in the therapeutic procedures.
In the case where depression eating leads to obesity, which may create a debilitating vicious cycle on an individual's mental health care. A therapist will need to tailor communication to fit the weight-related needs of that patient. Communication is vital to the management of various conditions like eating disorders and addiction ADHD.
The different techniques employed during therapeutic communications involve acknowledgment, summarization, leads provision, restating, reflecting, paraphrasing, exploring, clarification, the use of open-ended questions, focusing, silence, and active listening. The setting of the treatment center will also affect the client's perception of their therapist.
What are the three types of therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic procedure that treats a dysfunctional thought pattern that causes negative emotions, addiction ADHD, mental illness, and maladaptive behaviors. It highlights thought patterns instead of the personality type of the client. CBT ultimately aims to progress personal growth.
Existential Therapy
This type of psychotherapy highlights and assists clients deal with different facets of the human condition, like the essence of human subsistence: freedom, mortality, meaninglessness, and isolation.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy is an action-oriented, focused method to mental health cure.
According to this theory, particular behaviors arise from your past knowledge. If left unchecked, some of these behaviors can harm your life, and hence, can be a source of distress. This procedure aims to help you change certain behavioral responses like that seen in compulsive depression eating.
What are the four types of talk therapy?
The four different types of talk therapies are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT)
- Dialectic behavior therapy (DBT)
- Psychodynamic therapies.
- Humanistic therapies.
