The best approach to selection of a psychotherapist is to receive a referral from a trusted professional who is familiar with the psychotherapist they recommend. Even then, the informed consumer needs to follow certain guidelines in making an intelligent choice.
Psychologists are licensed by the State and must meet certain minimum requirements. They may have Master’s or Doctoral degrees in clinical or school psychology. They need to have served a supervised internship at an accredited hospital or other mental health setting. Some psychologists also have an advanced Diploma designation. The American Psychological Association lists psychologists in a National Directory. State and local listings may also be available.. It is essential to learn as much as possible about the training and experience of someone you will trust as your therapist. Specifically, he or she should have experience in treating conditions such as yours. It is recommended that you ask the pertinent questions before committing to a therapist. It is not rude to ask directly.. Often the professional can be located on the Internet through a personal website or publications. Psychiatric conditions such as anxiety disorders or depression are usually best treated by someone with q clinical psychology degree. School and learning problems in children may be better treated. by a school or educational psychologist. Yellow page listings may be helpful but do not speak to the training or experience of the therapist. It is illegal to list oneself as a psychologist without proper licensing. The term psychotherapist is not similarly protected. Many psychotherapists are properly credentialed as social workers or counselors. The suggestions offered here are equally important when seeking therapy at a group practice. The credentials of the principle psychologist may be far different than those of the person actually assigned to provide treatment.
Psychologists are mandated to comply with certain ethical principles.. Treatment must be strictly private and confidential. The therapist is forbidden to provide information about you to any outside party without your permission. The only exception would be if you reveal intent to harm yourself or others. In that case the therapist is obliged to inform the relevant persons. Ethics also require that you be an informed consumer and consent to the treatment that will be applied. It is also mandated that treatment methods be evidence -based.There is a large literature dealing with investigations of the effectiveness of psychological treatment. Therapists are obliged to be aware of state of the art approaches to various conditions. The most thoroughly investigated approach to treatment is cognitive-behavior therapy. The therapist should thoroughly explain his approach, specify treatment goals, provide some expectation for improvement as well as rough time frames. Clear cut criteria of improvement should specified. Treatment costs should be explained.
Medical insurance may often serve to cover the cost of psychotherapy. The therapist must be =approved as a provider listed in the panel of the specific insurance company. If there is a co-pay above the covered treatment, that, too, should be explained. Many insurance policies will pay for only a limited number of treatment sessions. Some clients prefer to pay out-of-pocket for treatment that is not covered by their insurance.
Finally, but not least important, is the comfort level you feel with the therapist. Not every psychotherapist is suited for every client. You are being asked to trust your therapist with personal information and significant feelings. If you don’t like the therapist if is not likely to result in successful intervention. Similarly, the therapist needs to like you. Therapists are trained to be non-judgmental but there may be situations with which the therapist feels ill-equipped to deal.. In such cases he or she is obliged to terminate treatment and make a more appropriate referral.
Dr. Rosen is a doctoral level, licensed clinical psychologist. He has over 38 years experience in clinical work, teaching, research, writing, and administration. He consults to school districts, providing mental health services. He maintains a private practice in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania and can be reached at: 484-341-8557 or by email at mrosenmarvin@gmail.com. He has published over 75 professional articles, 12 psychology textbooks, two novels, a children’s story, and two books of poetry. Most of these are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the author.
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