How To Choose A Competent Therapist

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Title: HOW TO CHOOSE A COMPETENT THERAPIST
Author: Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW
E-mail: mailto:editor@overcoming-depression.com
Copyright: by Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW
Web Address: http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com
Word Count: 960
Category: Mental Health

HOW TO CHOOSE A COMPETENT THERAPIST

I received a disturbing email this week. It's one of many
on the same theme which I have received over time, so I
knew it was time to address this issue. Here's the story.

A young lady's boyfriend went to see a doctor for
depression. She shared with me that the doctor apparently
said he has "Level 8 Depression" and that he spends too much
time with his girlfriend. The girlfriend states she sends
him daily emails for support of his depression and they
date on the weekends and that's it. She wanted to know my
opinion.

Hmmm...

I explained, first of all, that there is no such thing as
"Level 8 Depression." And, secondly, I had entirely too
little information to be making any judgment about their
relationship. If the information I received is accurate,
shame on that doctor. No wonder so many are cynical about
the therapy and psychiatry profession. Good golly!

Here's a great example of the kind of client I would want
you to be. I will call him Sam. Sam and I haven't met
yet, but he emailed me locally from here in Indianapolis
where I practice and asked me to give him a call. I called
him. He said he was interested in marriage counseling. We
proceeded to talk for about minutes. First we had the
usual small talk to warm up the conversation, then he asked
about my credentials and licensing. I explained that I am
state licensed and nationally certified. Then he asked how
much experience I had, which is years. Later in the
conversation he asked what made me an "expert" in marriage
counseling, what model I use and what success couples were
experiencing through counseling with me.

These were absolutely excellent questions! You should
never be afraid to ask vital questions like these. Sam
apologized once or twice for asking so many questions. My
response each time was that I was flattered to answer all
his questions and I told him that I would do exactly the
same thing were I him.

Would you go see a podiatrist for a heart condition or a
veterinarian who fancied himself to be a pulmonary
specialist? Of course not, but if you are not your own
advocate and sleuth that may be just what happens when it
comes to your mental health.

Finally, Sam asked what I thought about seeing a couple
from a different cultural background. I told him that as
long as they didn't mind teaching me cultural customs I may
be ignorant of, that I would be fine. Then I asked him how
that would be for them. By that time we had talked for
nearly twenty minutes. We had established a rapport. He
said, "Based on how our conversation has gone thus far, I
believe you're the right fit for us."

The only sad part about this story is that is doesn't occur
nearly enough. I wished more clients would call or email
and interview me just like Sam did. Some therapists never
even talk to clients before the first interview. Someone
else may do the intake for them. If a therapist won't talk
to you directly if you request it, take heed!

Besides the valuable information from both stories, I want
to give you clear guidelines on how to proceed with
receiving the right help from the right professional.

First, you cannot beat a personal referral. In fact, % of
my referrals are word-of-mouth. I was interviewed on a
radio talk show at the beginning of this year. From that
one hour on the air, several clients have found their way
to me. So, Keep your eyes and ears open for professionals
who are headlined on the local news, radio and in the
newspaper.

Many of my clients both online and off have referred to me
as a "friend" at some point in our work together. I cannot
think of a better compliment. However, though I am a good
guy and a good therapist, you certainly would not want to
ask me for help if you have bulimia (an eating disorder).
Why? I don't have any expertise in this area. Make sense?
So make sure that the person your going to consult with,
online or off, has expertise in your area of need.

Certainly check that your potential helper is appropriately
certified and/or licensed. Keep in mind that unless a
psychiatrist has obtained training to provide
psychotherapy, they DO NOT receive this as part of their
medical training. As a rule of thumb, psychiatrists are
trained in evaluation and medication.

So many of you are looking for professional consultation
online today. There are several things to look for. There
are beginning regulatory guidelines for those practicing on
the net. My site Overcoming Depression is an information
and resource site only. However, if you were looking at
the site where I offer professional email consultation
(CounselingPros.com) you would first note that there is a
picture of me listed up top and right. Underneath that are
my credentials and a link for you to verify them with the
state of Indiana Health Profession's Bureau. Scroll down
and you will see my toll-free number where you can actually
call to see if I'm a real person ;-) Some professionals
also choose to list their snail mail address. For privacy
issues (junk mail mostly) I do not do this. For an
exhaustive resource on securing the best online help I have
written a book entitled, "The Online Counseling Consumer's
Guide." It's on the CounselingPros.com site, it's an e-
book and it's free. Help yourself.

Remember, the care you choose and receive is initially your
responsibility. You deserve no less than the best. Go out
and get it!