The choice to seek professional help when you are struggling mentally and/or emotionally is one of the best decisions you can make. It means you are bravely seeking change for the better, change that might be hard for you but worthwhile. Once you’ve made the decision to seek help, you may feel not only hopeful and encouraged but also a bit afraid and overwhelmed: “How do I choose the right therapist for me?”

The best advice I could give is to keep it simple.Although it may seem like a daunting task to choose a therapist, it doesn’t have to be. Don’t let indecision keep you from acting and seeking help. Start somewhere, and if the first road you take doesn’t lead to where you’d like to go, that’s okay. You can easily make a turn, find a new therapist who is more fitting for you, and get closer to a healthier, happier you. So, remember, keep it simple.

Below are 7 simple guidelines worth following when seeking a therapist that can increase your chances of finding a professional that best suits you.

1. Check your health insurance.

It’s a good idea to check your health insurance coverage to see what options you have financially. There are a few ways to go about this, but one of the simplest is to call up the number on the back of your insurance card and speak with a representative from your insurance company. Ask the rep what is covered when it comes to mental health treatment and medications.

Depending on your plan, your insurance may only cover certain providers. If this is the case, learn which therapists are in your network. Your network is a good place to begin looking for a mental health professional.

If you do not have health insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover what you’d like, don’t worry. There are still other options that won’t break the bank. Look into nonprofits, health centers in your community, universities, and other organizations with goals to help people with mental health issues.

2. Review your needs.

As you begin looking for a counselor, think about what your needs are. Is it important to you to have a therapist whose office isn’t far from your home or work? Look at the office hours of each facility—are they open during hours of the day that work for you? Also think about if you prefer a certain gender. Would you feel more comfortable speaking with a male or a female?

Depending on your plan, your insurance may only cover certain providers. If this is the case, learn which therapists are in your network. Your network is a good place to begin looking for a mental health professional.

If you do not have health insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover what you’d like, don’t worry. There are still other options that won’t break the bank. Look into nonprofits, health centers in your community, universities, and other organizations with goals to help people with mental health issues.

3. Look up credentials and read reviews.

It’s important for the therapist you choose to be a licensed professional. Make a simple search of his/her name online. You may visit his/her own website or a website dedicated to reviewing mental and other health professionals. See if LCSW is next to the therapist’s name, which indicates he/she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Other mental health professionals have other initialisms next to their names as well that mean they have had the appropriate training related to their fields and are certified to offer help. Such examples include LSW, LPC, LCP, PhD, PsyD, MDm, and so on.

Learn what each therapist’s area of expertise is. What experience has each had? Discover what types of treatments are used and if there is proof of success.

Today there are many ways to review a professional. Read reviews and testimonials of the therapists you’re considering. Although reviews and individual’s experiences can be subjective, it is best to seek counseling from people who do score higher when it comes to reviews. Five stars really do tend to lend a better provider than two stars.
Depending on your plan, your insurance may only cover certain providers. If this is the case, learn which therapists are in your network. Your network is a good place to begin looking for a mental health professional.

If you do not have health insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover what you’d like, don’t worry. There are still other options that won’t break the bank. Look into nonprofits, health centers in your community, universities, and other organizations with goals to help people with mental health issues.

4. Ask for references.

You may have friends, family, coworkers, and other associates who also see therapists. Ask about their experiences. While every individual is dealing with unique problems and will click and make connections with different people, suggestions and information offered by people you trust can be extremely helpful. Find out if anyone can refer you to a particular therapist or clinic.

5. Make a call.

Call up the therapist you are considering, and ask the office any questions you may have. If you weren’t able to get information online, you can ask what the therapist’s specialties and training are. You can ask where the therapist went to school, what experience he/she has had, and if he/she is licensed. Also, talk about payment options and availability. If you feel you have found a good match, schedule an initial consultation.

6. Go to your appointment.

Remember, meeting with someone one time doesn’t lock you into a life-long commitment. Go to your appointment, and see for yourself if the therapist is a good fit for you. Notice how you feel in the consultation room, while in the therapist’s presence. Just because something may feel out of your comfort zone, doesn’t mean it is wrong. Be open. Still, if you feel too uncomfortable, you may want to seek help elsewhere. It may take meeting with the professional more than once to really learn if he or she is a good match for you.

It is a good sign if you feel a sense of relief and/or hope after speaking with your counselor. Granted, you may feel a whole range of emotions while there. But hope is important if the therapist is going to be a good match for you. Also note if your therapist helps you establish clear goals for what you’d like to get out of your sessions with him or her—this, too, is a positive sign if goals are set.

Never settle. You can find a therapist who best suits you. Be sure not to ignore red flags—ethics or boundaries crossed that shouldn’t be or any inappropriate behavior. It’s okay to be selfish. The therapist is someone you hired, and you should feel like you are getting your money’s and time’s worth. Choose someone who will best help you succeed and find wholeness.

7. Reassess.

It is worth your while to take the time to reassess where you were, where you’ve been, and where you are headed when trying to decide if the therapist you’ve been seeing is a good match. So, after seeing a counselor for several sessions, look back. Has progress been made? If no change has occurred for the better of your mental health, it’s probably time to look for a new counselor. If positive change has taken place and you feel you are progressing toward a healthier, happier you, you probably have found a great fit!

What can I do to just get through the day?

Have you ever thought or said these words? If so, you’re not alone. Whether your day or week is just kind of… “blah” or totally in ruins, you may be looking for anything that can help you to just keep going.

The good news is keeping it simple is actually the way to go, especially when you’re feeling discouraged and wondering how you’ll make it through the day. In fact, NPR recently published a post about this in the health news section of their website, a post I found particularly poignant and helpful at the start of a new year.

The author of the article, Dr. John Schumann, titled his piece “Keep Things Simple For A Healthy, Long Life.” Within the post, Schumann outlined simple preventative habits that will increase your chances for better health and better living. These five habits will actually help you achieve better mental and emotional health as well. His advice is the following:

• Get enough sleep
• Move your body throughout the day
• Eat Well – a healthy assortment of foods. Mostly plants, and not too much. (An idea popularized by author Michael Pollan)
• Interact socially. Isolation is not good for the body, soul or mind.
• Take some time to refelct on what you are grateful for.

And that’s it. Dr. Mike Evans agrees, as Schumann points out, and you can learn why in Evans’ short, clever video below. This video reminds us that, once again, sticking to the basics is the best thing you can do when you’re just trying to get through a tough time. I highly recommend watching it then following Dr. Evans’ advice.

Sometimes a loved one’s addiction or negative behavior can get to a point where it drastically affects his or her life as well as the lives of friends and family members. As a family member or close friend, you may begin to feel hopeless, helpless, and unsure if things can ever change.

However, people do change and help is available. This change and help can be implemented by way of an intervention.

Should I have an intervention for my loved one?

If you’ve heard of interventions, you may think such action is only required for “really bad” scenarios, and you may wonder if your situation would qualify. Or, perhaps you simply wonder if your loved one will actually benefit from having an intervention and if it’s the right thing for you.

To learn if an intervention is something you should pursue, give our staff a call anytime during office hours for a free over-the-phone initial consultation.

What Is An Intervention?

As stated by one of the top rehabilitation programs in Utah

“Intervention is simply moving the precipitating event as to why someone comes to treatment forward.”

In other words, an event of some sort must usually take place in order for a person with harrowing addiction to be spurred to change. Instead of waiting for change to come by way of a catastrophic event, where your loved one “hits rock bottom,” an intervention can speed up the process and avoid such a tragedy from ever having to happen.

If you are waiting for your loved one to come to a realization on his or her own that change and help is needed, you could wait far too long or possibly forever. Unfortunately, it is during this waiting period when things spiral out of control and abuse, pain, and suffering get worse.

How Does An Intervention Work?

An interventionist provides a non-judgmental space, where true concerns and feelings can be shared. This type of framework comes highly recommended by professionals because the interventionist can facilitate discussion in a healthy way, benefiting both the person with addiction and his or her loved ones.

It is natural and common for family and close friends to be too close to the situation, to be completely objective. Often these types of exchanges can become heated or contentious. However, with an interventionist present, the right messages can be delivered the right away. Interventionists are trained to know when to interject conversation to steer it into the type of discussion where all feel safe, heard, and understood.

What Other Things Does An Interventionist Do?

Interventionists not only help families and friends have intimate, important conversations with a loved one they are concerned about but they also can recommend:

• rehab programs and facilities,
• suitable types of care,
• companion services,
• family therapy, and
• mental health placements

Additionally, interventionists are there to walk a family through an entire treatment program and monitor post-discharge care.