Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist ##2022045023

Picking a therapist is hard. Where do you start? Here are some tips that can help you find a therapist that is best for you.

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1. Go with someone you feel comfortable with.

Find someone that you feel you can share with. Pay attention to how they make you feel when you are talking to them. Do you feel you could open up to them? Are they compassionate? Do they seem to “get” what you are talking about? The best way to judge this is in person.

 

2. Find someone that offers a free “get to know me” session.

Pick three local therapists in your area that offer free sessions and go and interview them for the position. It is hard to know if you are going to click with someone over the phone – the real test is in person. Are they warm and inviting? Can you imagine working with them in the long term? Can you get on board with how they approach treating your issue? How you connect with them is important, because therapy is not something you do on your own, you do it in the context of a relationship with the therapist. Go with what your gut tells you is going to be the best person for you.

 

3. Are they responsive?

Therapists are busy people, but you want to see someone that is going to call you back and take your inquiries seriously. Therapists often don’t answer the phone because they are in session, and leaving a voicemail message is standard. Be sure to clearly state your name and callback number, no more information than this is needed.

 

4. Are they licensed or practicing under supervision?

In the age where anyone can call themselves a “life coach”, licensing is important. It means that the therapist has a minimum of a Master’s degree and has oversight from the state. In Missouri, that board is called State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists. There are rules and regulations that Missouri has to protect you when you see a licensed or supervised clinician, but not if you see a “life coach”. To check someone’s license on the State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists website, click here. Clinicians will be registered on the Missouri Division of Professional Registration website. For example, my Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist number is #:2022045023.​

 

5. Pick someone that has done their own therapy.

I firmly believe that therapists should have completed their own therapy in the past. Every therapist should know what it feels like to be in the other chair. I can remember what it was like to try and pick a therapist, how frustrating and overwhelming the process was. I can remember feeling anxious before my first session. I am a therapist today because of all of the healing I did in therapy. Find someone that believes in therapy!

 

6. Find someone you can afford

No one should go broke getting help. Therapy can be expensive, for good reason, as therapists too must make a living. But be aware that private pay is not the only way to see a therapist. Some therapists offer sliding scales and there are great clinics that offer low cost therapy. If you are having trouble finding affordable therapy in the Joplin area, please email me and I’ll send you a list of resources.

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