Tips for Finding a Therapist
In this segment of The Marc and Mandy Show: Your Wellness Fix, Danielle Holtjer from Skylark Counselling shares some tips for finding the right counsellor.
Danielle Holtjer: Hi Marc and Mandy, finding a counsellor can be challenging at the best of times. Often people go to their local web listings and search through hundreds of counsellors and have a hard time picking which one. Often it’s based on their photo, they look warm and approachable, or based on their primary concern. I have a few tips and tricks that will help you further tailor picking a counsellor that’s suitable to meet your needs. It’s very important. Research shows us that the therapeutic relationship is the most important thing when determining therapeutic success. So, I usually recommend to people ensure that their counsellor is registered. That means that they have a governing body following them, they have accountability, they have an ethical board, they have training that they have to do on an annual basis. And ensures that your counsellor is trained in what they’re saying they’re trained in. Also, feel free to do a phone consultation, Most counsellors do a free 10 to 15 minutes just a meet and greet for you to get to know them. I recommend people ask them all questions under the sun. Anything about their demographics, if they have kids, if they’re a person of color, their sexual orientation. We get all sorts of questions. As well, feel free to ask about their personality, if they’re straightforward, if they’re easygoing, how they start session, how they end session. Again, those things can be really important to make sure that you’re a good fit and vice versa for the counsellor for you. As well, I recommend to people that they look for a counsellor that’s a part of a clinic or part of a team. That means they have more clinical support to support you and sometimes within that team there are different roles. So, for myself, I’m a clinical match consultant I talk to people and I match them with the therapists that’s the most appropriate for them. So you don’t have to go through this process alone.
About Skylark Counselling:
The therapists at Skylark Counselling offer free, individual and family counselling and support to children, youth and their families who live in Toronto. To learn more, visit the Skylark Counselling website.
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