Tips To Make Your Search For A San Diego Therapist Easier

Choosing a therapist can seem like a daunting task. You want to find a therapist who will help you figure out ways to overcome your particular problems. In San Diego there are hundreds of therapists/counselors. All are different. Therapist’s come with different levels education, experience levels and approaches to therapy. Each has a unique personality that may or may not mesh with yours. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing your therapist.

Decode the credentials: You will see a variety of letters listed after a counselor’s name. These indicate the level of education, certifications and licenses a therapist possesses. Here’s a summary of what you will see and what they mean:

• Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT, LMFT, MFTI) – Marriage and Family Therapists are clinicians with a minimum of a master’s degree in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or marital and family therapy. Marriage and Family Therapists are relationship specialists who work with clients to achieve marriage, family and social well being and productivity. These clinicians provide marriage counseling, premarital counseling, child counseling, divorce or separation counseling along with individual therapy addressing a variety of issues: anxiety, depression, adjustment issues, and grief counseling, and so on. The Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has passed state-certified licensing exams. LMFTs are required to complete 3000 hours clinical training in individual or family therapy.
• Social Workers (MSW, LCSW) – Licensed clinical social workers have a minimum of a master’s degree in social work. Clinical social workers possess a special knowledge of social resources. Clinical Social workers provide individual, family and group counseling of a nonmedical nature. They provide information and referral services and arrange for the provision of social services. They also provide counseling and psychotherapy from a variety of therapeutic orientations. The Licensed Clinical Social Worker has had supervised clinical work experience, and has passed a national- or state-certified licensing exam
• Psychologists (Ph.D., Psy.D.,) – Psychologists have a doctoral degree in psychology. They often have advanced training in research methods, testing of brain functioning, psychological testing and evaluation, and learning disabilities. Psychologists evaluate and treat a full range of emotional and psychological challenges. They provide therapy with adults, adolescents, and children – addressing a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
• Psychiatrists (M.D.) – Psychiatrists are medial doctors who specialize in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications to treat emotional or mental problems. They specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness.

Find you are looking for: Take some time to think about what you want to achieve in therapy.  Many therapist specialize in working with certain types of issues (relationships, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc) and types of clients (couples, children or adults, etc).You will want to look for a therapist who is familiar with your area of concern.

• Check out their website – Most therapists have websites that describe themselves, how they work and their specialties. Reviewing their website will give you an idea if they typically work with issues similar to yours.
• Make a consultation appointment – There is only so much you can glean from a website or a phone call. Meeting face to face is the best way to see if a therapist is a good fit for you. Ask the therapist about the help you need and if they have experience with your type of difficulty. Ask them how they would go about helping you.

The comfort factor: Find a therapist with whom you feel comfortable. Studies show that the relationship you have with your therapist is one of the most important factors to seeing change in your life. This makes sense – you have to feel comfortable in order to be open with what is most personal in your life.

• After speaking with the therapist, ask yourself the following: did they pay attention to what you say? Did they answer your questions? Did they seem at ease ? Did you feel comfortable? Do you feel confident that they can help you?

 

Chappell Therapy – Jennifer Chappell Marsh, San Diego Counselor specializes in providing Counseling and Therapy in San Diego for Couples and Families who want to improve their relationships.