I am often happy to connect with people who are seeking help for the first time and value this interaction as being pivotal to being able to convey the value of psychotherapy. I thought it would be helpful to share some considerations for individuals who are seeking therapy for the first time or even people who have had therapy before and wanted to consider what else may be helpful in their therapeutic journey and recovery.
*I'll use therapist and clinician interchangeably in this blog as dependent on what part of the world you reside in, this may be a protected designation, but generally refers to someone with specialized training around mental health, addiction, and/or trauma.
Question: What should I be looking for in a therapist?
I think individuals initially seek to find a therapist who has a particular specialization, whether it be around a specific mental health diagnosis such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD, to help process a particular trauma(s), ask for support around an addiction or addictive/compulsive behaviour, or a whole host of specific issues that might impact an individual's quality of life. You may be inclined to find a clinician who has a specialized qualification that you have read about and feel would be a fit for the concern you'd like to address, or that they have written an article, published a social media post, or demonstrated some expertise in an area of interest to you or that you're drawn to. At the end of the day, I invite individuals to create a list of possible candidates and reach out for an initial consultation (which most therapists offer for free) to see if you feel a connection and if you could see yourself building enough trust with that professional to open up to them, sharing things that may be uncomfortable, or things that you have not shared with others before, and that you feel as if they would challenge you gently in a manner that you would be receptive to. Also, it may be helpful for you to ask yourself and even the therapist directly, if you could see yourself giving feedback about what you find helpful or unhelpful about their approach and if you can see the therapist receiving this well. Some possible questions to ask during the consultation may include:
What is your approach when working with individuals and why are you drawn to it?
What is your expertise and why are you/were you drawn to build your education/experience in this area?
Do you offer trauma-informed care and what does this mean to you?
What is your experience and where did you obtain it?
What would working with you look like?
Have you experienced this therapeutic approach yourself and how did you find it?
Are you receptive to hearing me identify when something isn't working for me?
Do you currently receive supervision?
Consider the initial consultation as an interview for you to determine if you want to hire them to support you and do you feel as if they will offer you value for your time. Additionally, you may want to explore through your employer if you have benefits that may assist in subsidizing or covering the cost of sessions.
Question: What is reasonable to expect from a therapist and what is not?
(For the purpose of this question, I will answer from my expertise which may not encompass all the facets of what is available in the therapy field.)
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) registered with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (https://bcacc.ca/). This requires a Masters level of education in a field such as psychology or social work and is able to demonstrate having satisfied clinical supervision requirements. Find out what licensing body, registration, and rigours of membership your therapist belongs to, to find out if you are satisfied that they have the education, experience, and knowledge to help you in what you're looking to be supported in. RCCs are unable to diagnose but may have the expertise and knowledge around supporting individuals with particular diagnoses. It may be helpful for an individual to explore/obtain a diagnosis from a GP, nurse practitioner, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and then engage in more in-depth psychotherapy from a RCC or other mental health professional. RCCs are unable to provide medical prescriptions but it would be helpful for you to share any prescriptions/medications you are on, as they may impact how you engage in psychotherapy.
Your therapist/mental health professional is human, and can get it wrong sometimes. As a clinician, I bring curiousity and an earnest willingness to support you in your individual journey and it works best when there is collaborative communication about when there is an error, when it's not relevant to you, or when you ask them to explore other options or possibilities. I welcome at all times and invite feedback about how an individual is perceiving their work in session, any options offered for exploration outside session, and what they hope for as a goal and/or direction. You as the client should be the driver's seat, with your therapist beside you offering suggestions that are dictated by where you want to go and what you're hoping for. They are not meant to be there for advice and should not be directing your decisions, but offering options, asking questions, and presenting considerations that may not have occurred to you to support you to make the best decisions for yourself.
Question: How do I know what the letters after people's names mean and why is this important?
Professionals who advertise on Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca) will often have post nominals that denote their particular honours, appointments, and/or qualifications/education. My particular post nominals are as follows:
I have received a Canadian Decoration (CD) for 12 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces with a good record of conduct ((https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/medals-decorations/details/199).
I have a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology indicated by the MA after my name.
I am a Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist (CMAT) and a Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT) from the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP: http://iitap.com). To obtain this particular qualification, I have completed the following certifications:
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) - 120 course hours + 30 hours of supervision
Financial/Work Disorders - 21 course hours
Internet/Gaming Addiction - 21 course hours
Certified Part Trauma Therapist - 56 course hours
Workshops:
Understanding Eating Disorders as Intimacy Avoidant Behaviors
Active membership with IITAP involves 15 continuing education credits every two years demonstrating ongoing professional development and staying current with the research, trends, in this area of expertise.
I am a Somatic Experiencing™ practitioner (SEP) candidate Somatic Experiencing™ International (SEI: http://traumahealing.org).
Beginner modules 1, 2, 3 - 12 day training + 4 personal education sessions and 4 case consultation hours
Intermediate 1, 2, 3 - 12 day training + 4 personal education session and 6 case consultation hours
Advanced 1, 2 - 12 day training + 4 personal education sessions and 8 case consultation hours
For more information about what is covered in each module of training: https://traumahealing.org/professional-training/
You may want to ask what training the clinician has taken as it may be a therapeutic approach that would be of interest to you and why they chose to pursue that particular training. I have taken the following courses:
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT: https://cptforptsd.com/) is an evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or related conditions and is an approach that focuses on targeting the thoughts and feelings originating from traumatic events and influencing the connection between thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Find out more here from a journalist who documents their experience of engaging with CPT:
Cognitive-Behavioural Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCT: https://www.coupletherapyforptsd.com/) is an evidence-based, problem-focused intervention targeted to improve an individual's experience of their PTSD symptoms and to enhance relationship intimacy. It is conjoint therapy as it is not solely for intimate partnerships but can be applied to any familial/intimate dyadic (2) relationship.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD (https://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/workshops_pet.html) is an evidence-based exposure and emotional processing therapeutic intervention targeted to reduce the intensity of an individual's PTSD symptoms. Research indicates that individuals have been able to experience remission of their symptoms after successful completion of this protocol.
If you are unclear as to the particular training or qualifications that a clinician has, it may be helpful to research what was needed for them to obtain their particular designation and whether that helps to build trust that they are able to offer specialized support in what you are seeking therapy for.
Question: Why does sharing that you used to be in the military relevant to your role as a counsellor?
I share this information as it often offers an element of comfort to many first responders/public safety personnel that I have a familiarity with organizational culture and the unique challenges that an identity, career, training, and experiences in these professions has. Supporting an individual around their experiences around moral injury (while not exclusively experienced by First Responders) is common and may not be an issue that all clinicians have familiarity working with. There is ease experienced when individuals do not need to explain all the nuances of rank, departments, deployments, taskings, incidents, and/or protocol, and can just get to the root of their challenges and the impact it has on their life.
Ultimately, the biggest determining factor in who you decide to work with, is whether you feel a good personality fit and that you could see yourself building trust, and being able to communicate with, or work towards communicating openly with. After all, you are sharing personal details that may invoke guilt/shame/discomfort to this individual and want to experience that they are able to hold the space for you to do so.
I commend you for your courage, desire for wellness, and acknowledgement that you deserve a better life for yourself. Therapy is a commitment to yourself and investment in your future, as it is an opportunity to make meaningful changes to your life now that pays dividends that continue to be felt years down the road not only by you, but everyone around you. You can be the cycle breaker in the toxic and unhelpful patterns that you have been exposed to and you can decide not to perpetuate.
Let me know how this resonates with you and/or if you have any questions about therapy.
I'm happy to respond to email queries sent to plumblossomcounselling@gmail.com.
Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a reply from me.
Comments