Perhaps you’re looking for a therapist to work with. But how do you know who is good? As in all fields, therapists have a range of abilities and capabilities. How do you know, as the person calling, who is effective or who has specific training and focus? Today we are providing two tips to help with the process. First, look for a therapist who uses an evidence-based approach, which means the theory they follow has been thoroughly researched and shown to be effective with the populations served. For example, here at our center, we use the Gottman Method, which is backed by decades of research by John & Julia Gottman to be effective in working with couples. The other method we use is EMDR, eye movement desensitization, and reprocessing. and that method too has decades of research, showing its effectiveness healing people with trauma or intense loss or grief in their past.
The second thing to look for and ask about – is this therapist committed to honing their skill in one or two specific areas of specialty? Above and beyond our master’s degrees, therapists are required to get continuing education units each year, and they can choose to focus all those units on one specialty. You want a therapist who has really homed in on, and studied thoroughly and has a lot of training and practice on one or maybe two areas of specialty. I would caution you to be hesitant when therapists list 6 or 8 specialties. Two at the most are what a therapist can become very skilled in. Ask them- do you have a certification to work with a specific type of client or use a specific type of therapy to treat a certain problem.
These are the two things to look for and ask about when searching for a therapist-are they using an evidence-based approach and does that therapist have additional education, maybe even a certification to work with the problems that you are needing help with. We hope this is helpful and good luck with your search to connect with a therapist!
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