Many people ask me whether I think the psychologist or therapist they are currently seeing is on the right track.  Others will recall an experience they had in long-ago therapy sessions, and will ask about the effectiveness of methods practiced by that professional.  I don’t like to second-guess the good-intentions of my colleagues in the helping professions, so I evade these questions as politely as possible.

What I CAN do, and often attempt to do, is to assist people in finding a professional within their own community.  Below I’ve outlined what needs to happen if you think you might want to see someone in the helping professions.

The first step in finding a professional to benefit you is to ask yourself a few questions.

• What do I want to be different?
• Who should have to make the changes to ensure this difference occurs?
• What is my learning style? Do I relate better to a person who simply listens without comment? Or, do I want someone to teach me new skills? Or, am I looking for someone who will dig deeply into my past, taking years to help me gain “insights”.  The options for answering these questions are as limitless as the number of people asking them, but you get the idea.
• Do I want a professional who is licensed or regulated by the state?  Does it matter to me whether this person studied the research about what works for my particular kind of situation?
• Is it important to me that the professional I choose shares my religious convictions and uses those values in the work we do together?
• Will I be paying for these services out of my own pocket, or will I want to bill an insurance carrier?
• For the difficulty I face, will it be necessary for someone else to come to sessions with me (as in marriage counseling)?  Do I want to select a professional with appeal to that person as well as myself?

These are questions that you ask yourself prior to making that first call to a professional.  In my next article, I’ll talk about ways to know which professional might work best for you.