It is important to find the right therapist for you when searching for a mental health provider. SOMA therapy prepared a detailed guide on what to look for when finding the right therapist for your mental health needs.
What Makes a Therapist the “Right Therapist”?
While the “right therapist” varies person to person and has unique backgrounds, here are some things you may want to consider:
- With the right therapist, therapy is done together, not that your therapist is doing therapy TO you (or doing all of the work).
- The right therapist is an expert in pattern recognition and can see harmful or contradictory patterns in your life or dialogue.
- The right therapist is lively, observant, and aware of the time limits around the sessions practicing healthy boundaries with their clients.
- The right therapist emphasizes serious matters while also relieving the tension in the atmosphere. Comedic sensibility is an important factor and being able to oscillate between hard topics and relief.
- The right therapist values self-care and ongoing learning. They work to practice what they preach (although therapists are human too).
- The right therapist holds space for you to process your emotions and won’t project their beliefs onto you.
- The right therapist will have a professional, therapeutic relationship with you. They won’t feel like your friend or your doctor.
In order to find the right therapist for you, you may have to visit several mental health providers before you find the right fit. This is normal. As much as all therapists aim to help you, it is important that he or she is the right match. Before you begin your search, it is also vital to learn which provider will be best for your needs. Do you need a counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric medication manager? Different types of mental health professionals work with and treat different parts of mental disorders and recommend different treatments.
Common Types of Therapy
- Individual therapy
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Couples therapy (marriage counseling)
Check out SOMA’s full list of Therapy & Mental Health Services.
Types of Mental Health Professionals
- Psychologist
- Social Worker
- Marriage and Family Therapist
- Psychiatrist
- Psychiatric Medication Manager
To learn more about what type of therapy and which mental health provider best suits your needs, you can always give SOMA Therapy a call: 1-316-201-6047 or contact us.
Resources For Finding a Therapist
- Ask friends and family members for recommendations. If a close friend or family member has attended therapy in the past, consider reaching out to them for a recommendation. Your friends and family members can serve as a good source of information if you’re struggling with a specific issue.
- Use your insurance company. If you have an insurance plan that offers mental health benefits, use your insurance company’s online therapist directory to search for mental health providers in your zip code.
- Check out your school’s resources. If you’re a student, check whether your university offers counseling services. School counselors should be able to provide you with the names of clinicians by specialty and location. If you’re an alum or faculty member, your college counseling center may be able to connect you to a licensed psychotherapist.
- Ask another trusted professional. Primary care physicians, family practitioners, nurses, acupuncturists, and massage therapists may have psychotherapists in their network and can help refer you to an in-network therapist.
- Use the Internet. Online therapist directories and search engines, such as Psychology Today, the APA, and WithTherapy offer lists of mental health providers by location and specialty. Whether you’re searching for a therapist in Wichita, Kansas or in another state, you can filter your search by zip code or neighborhood.
- Reach out to SOMA Therapy. If you are a resident of Wichita, Kansas – you can always reach out to SOMA Therapy for help. We refer to other providers in the community that specialize in your concern if we are fully booked or do not have a mental health professional that matches your needs.
