Four Tips for Using the Internet to Find a Therapist Who’s Right for You
If you or someone you know is considering therapy, you should know that one of the most important determinants of successful therapy is the relationship that is built between you and your therapist. Therefore, it is important to find a therapist to work with who specializes in helping people with problems similar to yours and who also is a good fit for your unique personality.
Unfortunately, when we’re hurting a lot, we typically don’t think clearly. And this can make the process of selecting a therapist even more difficult than it would be under different circumstances. Thankfully, there are people who can help.
If you’re looking for some recommendations of therapists, consider asking your physician, a member of the clergy, or family and friends whose opinions you trust and respect for a few referrals.
That having been said, getting a few referrals from people you know and trust should serve as the beginning, not the end, of your search. Fortunately, the Internet can help make the rest of the process much easier than it used to be.
Why You Should Use the Internet When Searching for a Mental Health Professional?
Although the value of referrals shouldn’t be underestimated, there are times when we face situations that we’re not comfortable discussing with others. If this is the case for you, the Internet allows you to look for professionals in your area who can help you without having to involve anyone you know.
Additionally, even if you’ve received several referrals, not even the best therapist is the best therapist for everyone. Searching the Internet is a quick and easy way of finding professionals in your area that may not be known by people in your immediate circle.
And, of course, reviewing several therapists’ websites is a much more efficient way to get a feel for the personalities, skills, and experiences of multiple therapists than playing phone‐tag with numerous therapists, asking them all questions, and scheduling a bunch of initial consultations.
While there are numerous ways to use the Internet to help you find the best therapist for you, the following are a few of the more important and immediately useful suggestions:
Locating therapists in your area
Whether or not you have a few referrals, you should use a search engine to look for therapists in your area. For example, if you live in San Diego, California, you could use a search engine to search for phrases such as “counseling san diego” or “therapist san diego”. Of course, these are pretty broad searches and they don’t really utilize the power of the Internet to make your life easier. In order to find the best therapists for your needs, you should be specific in your searches by using search phrases such as “marriage counseling san diego” or “adolescent counselor san diego” or “bipolar disorder therapist san diego”. Without having to go through more than one or two pages of search results, you should have the websites and contact information for several therapists in your area that specialize in helping people with the same difficulties you’re experiencing.
Learning more about prospective therapists
Regardless of whether you’ve found prospective therapists online using a search engine or have gotten their information from someone you know, you should use the Internet to find out more about them before deciding to schedule an initial appointment. Of course, one of the easiest ways to learn more about a therapist is to thoroughly review their website. A therapist’s website should give you a good deal of information about how they practice therapy, what their experience and specialties are, as well as some insight into their personality. While reviewing the websites of potential therapists can be very helpful in reducing the field of therapists you’re considering, you should also do a couple of searches on each therapist’s name in order to learn more about them. For instance, you may find testimonials or complaints about one of therapists you’re considering, or you may find articles that a therapist has written that give you more insight into their personality and expertise. All of this information can be helpful in deciding whom to work with.
Researching the different types of treatments available
Although many therapists practice psychotherapy eclectically – that is they draw on numerous theoretical orientations and treatment methods – most therapists specialize in only a few treatment orientations or modalities. If you’re looking to overcome previous traumatic experiences and one of the therapists you’re considering uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people resolve trauma while another uses Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), doing a few searches on each treatment type can help you learn more about both so you can decide which method seems best to you, or at least provide you enough information to ask the therapists more informed questions about how they approach treatment.
Discovering what you can expect from therapy
Finally, if you’ve been to therapy before, you may know what a positive, life‐changing experience professional therapy can be. But, if this is the first time you’ve considered professional counseling or therapy, you may not know what to expect. An hour’s worth of online research will help you discover the many faces of psychotherapy, what you can do to make your therapy as effective as possible, as well as how to find a therapist.
In closing, while the Internet can help in all of these ways and many more, you should still call several therapists and schedule a few initial consultations. After all, should you decide to attend therapy, you’ll be working closely with your therapist for some period of time. The only way you can find out if you and a therapist have a chance of working together effectively is by meeting with them, asking them questions, and listening to your intuition about the experience.
Unfortunately, when we’re hurting a lot, we typically don’t think clearly. And this can make the process of selecting a therapist even more difficult than it would be under different circumstances. Thankfully, there are people who can help.
If you’re looking for some recommendations of therapists, consider asking your physician, a member of the clergy, or family and friends whose opinions you trust and respect for a few referrals.
That having been said, getting a few referrals from people you know and trust should serve as the beginning, not the end, of your search. Fortunately, the Internet can help make the rest of the process much easier than it used to be.
Why You Should Use the Internet When Searching for a Mental Health Professional?
Although the value of referrals shouldn’t be underestimated, there are times when we face situations that we’re not comfortable discussing with others. If this is the case for you, the Internet allows you to look for professionals in your area who can help you without having to involve anyone you know.
Additionally, even if you’ve received several referrals, not even the best therapist is the best therapist for everyone. Searching the Internet is a quick and easy way of finding professionals in your area that may not be known by people in your immediate circle.
And, of course, reviewing several therapists’ websites is a much more efficient way to get a feel for the personalities, skills, and experiences of multiple therapists than playing phone‐tag with numerous therapists, asking them all questions, and scheduling a bunch of initial consultations.
While there are numerous ways to use the Internet to help you find the best therapist for you, the following are a few of the more important and immediately useful suggestions:
Locating therapists in your area
Whether or not you have a few referrals, you should use a search engine to look for therapists in your area. For example, if you live in San Diego, California, you could use a search engine to search for phrases such as “counseling san diego” or “therapist san diego”. Of course, these are pretty broad searches and they don’t really utilize the power of the Internet to make your life easier. In order to find the best therapists for your needs, you should be specific in your searches by using search phrases such as “marriage counseling san diego” or “adolescent counselor san diego” or “bipolar disorder therapist san diego”. Without having to go through more than one or two pages of search results, you should have the websites and contact information for several therapists in your area that specialize in helping people with the same difficulties you’re experiencing.
Learning more about prospective therapists
Regardless of whether you’ve found prospective therapists online using a search engine or have gotten their information from someone you know, you should use the Internet to find out more about them before deciding to schedule an initial appointment. Of course, one of the easiest ways to learn more about a therapist is to thoroughly review their website. A therapist’s website should give you a good deal of information about how they practice therapy, what their experience and specialties are, as well as some insight into their personality. While reviewing the websites of potential therapists can be very helpful in reducing the field of therapists you’re considering, you should also do a couple of searches on each therapist’s name in order to learn more about them. For instance, you may find testimonials or complaints about one of therapists you’re considering, or you may find articles that a therapist has written that give you more insight into their personality and expertise. All of this information can be helpful in deciding whom to work with.
Researching the different types of treatments available
Although many therapists practice psychotherapy eclectically – that is they draw on numerous theoretical orientations and treatment methods – most therapists specialize in only a few treatment orientations or modalities. If you’re looking to overcome previous traumatic experiences and one of the therapists you’re considering uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people resolve trauma while another uses Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), doing a few searches on each treatment type can help you learn more about both so you can decide which method seems best to you, or at least provide you enough information to ask the therapists more informed questions about how they approach treatment.
Discovering what you can expect from therapy
Finally, if you’ve been to therapy before, you may know what a positive, life‐changing experience professional therapy can be. But, if this is the first time you’ve considered professional counseling or therapy, you may not know what to expect. An hour’s worth of online research will help you discover the many faces of psychotherapy, what you can do to make your therapy as effective as possible, as well as how to find a therapist.
In closing, while the Internet can help in all of these ways and many more, you should still call several therapists and schedule a few initial consultations. After all, should you decide to attend therapy, you’ll be working closely with your therapist for some period of time. The only way you can find out if you and a therapist have a chance of working together effectively is by meeting with them, asking them questions, and listening to your intuition about the experience.