By Lydia Sterry | Submitted 2023
Where to start, how to start, when to start, who to start with?
It can be quite a confusing process before you’ve even started the actual therapy. This little blog is designed to cover a few tips and pointers for you to ponder over.
Theoretical Orientation
The therapy landscape is vast, with modalities like Existential, Gestalt, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic, and Family-oriented systems. While choosing a particular style may seem daunting, personal preferences often guide our inclinations. It's crucial to recognize that preferences may evolve, and openness to various therapy orientations is beneficial. Therapists vary in numerous ways, prompting the need to be open not only to different therapy orientations but also to the individuals behind them.
Referrals
Recommendations from sources like doctors, friends, or other therapists are common when selecting a therapist. While a recommended therapist may be a safe choice, it's essential to be aware of potential high expectations tied to such referrals. Opening up to therapists beyond recommendations can ensure a more open-minded approach to the therapy process.
Identifying the Problem:
Before starting therapy, writing a concise summary of the issues you'd like to address can provide a good starting point. Clearly articulating what you need help with and envisioning the desired outcome can facilitate the process. However, it's also acceptable to enter therapy with a sense that something is wrong without precisely identifying it, allowing the therapist to collaboratively explore and uncover underlying themes.
Warnings to Consider:
Certain warning signs in a therapist's behaviour should be acknowledged. These include a lack of interest in understanding your problem, a rigid one-size-fits-all approach, claims of offering "cures" or "spiritual" transformations, bossy or confrontational demeanour, pressure to commit to set sessions or sign contracts, and claims of radical life perspectives. Being vigilant about these signs can help make informed decisions about therapist selection.
Understanding Therapists' Limitations:
Reflecting on what therapists can't do is an essential aspect of managing expectations. Therapists cannot undo past hurt, change other people in your life, or bring about instantaneous personal change. Recognizing these limitations aids in forming realistic expectations about what therapy can achieve.
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Reflecting on these pointers is crucial before finalizing the choice of a therapist. Additionally, exploring questions to ask and topics to discuss during the initial "shopping around" phase can be beneficial.
It might be useful also to read this article which covers what you might want to ask and talk about with the therapist during your “shopping around” phase.
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Should you find yourself wanting to know more information, simply contact progressiveprocess@live.com.au or click here.