3 Questions You Should Ask Your Therapist

Therapy is one of the most intimate things you can do with another person. In practice, therapy allows someone to share their deepest and often most repressed feelings, thoughts and emotions with someone else. Also in practice, the clinician provides a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere for the client to share. 

One of the most commonly used resources for finding clinicians (therapist, social workers and psychiatrists) is Psychology Today. Psychology Today is a great resource because it provides users with a snap shot of the clinician's specialties (ex: Anxiety Disorder, Depression & PTSD) and the accepted client age group. Furthermore this resource allows you to zero in on verified clinicians using a zip code of your choice. 

Here is a list of important questions you should ask before starting Therapy

What has been your experience in dealing with my particular issues?

It's a well known misconception that individuals who have not gone through your similar experience may not be able to provide insight to your issues. This is absolutely false. Personally, while working in Substance Abuse Treatment/Recovery, this was my biggest challenge. Though I never personally engaged in usage, I was able to provide insight through my countless experiences with former clients dealing with substance abuse and active addiction in a variety of different settings (Department of Defense, Department of Corrections, Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities). This should also hold true as well for any clinician you seek services from-there should be some previous experience in dealing with your particular issues. If there is no previous experience in dealing with your particular issues, find out how the clinician plans be effective. Some clinicians combat this by setting up peer to peer review with another clinician. 

How do you plan on documenting our sessions?

This is another important question because it may play a role in a client's openness during therapy. Some other things to consider includes who else will have access to your records and, if going though an Employee Assistance Program, what information will be shared with your employer? For the most part, clinicians provide this information upfront during the initial consultation meeting or the very first session. 

What are your strengths and limitations as a counselor?

As mentioned before, Psychology Today is a great resource for highlighting strengths, but what about those limitations though? Some clinicians are open about their limitations and what particular client populations that would be difficult to work with due to various reasons. Some colleagues have expressed limitations in working with individuals who have abused children or the elderly. Addressing these issues upfront allows for the client get a better understanding of the clinician. 

If you are still on the fence and need additional assistance finding the right therapist, psychiatrist, psychiatric hospital or substance abuse treatment center, feel free to contact the MVP Consulting Group. We have an extensive network of qualified mental health and substance abuse professionals ready to assist you. Click image below to be directed to our confidential referral page. #mvpconsultinggroup #mentalhealth #substanceabuse

Martin LaRoche is an experienced Behavioral Healthcare Administrator and Mental Health Advocate. Martin serves as the Founder of the MVP Consulting Group- a behavioral health consulting firm based in Los Angeles, CA. Martin is also a second year PhD Scholar- his current research will focus on the optimization of behavioral healthcare delivery.