The Importance of Finding the Right Therapist
So, you have decided that your kid, teen, and/or family need a therapist in Philadelphia, PA, but you don’t know where to start with finding one.
Your doctor and people you know have given you a few recommendations. So, you have decided to start shopping around. That may be exactly how you found this blog post!
You may decide to look for the best therapist in the field for your specific situation. But, finding a therapist is a little bit different than credentials or “what’s on paper.” So, you may have a number of questions regarding the therapy process.
Sure, finding a therapist in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in the area that you need help with is important. For example, you may be looking for a therapist for your child. It may be more beneficial to set something up with a child therapist rather than a generalist. A practice with specialists working with kids, teens, and parents is a good starting place. Then, finding a therapist with experience with any disorders, diagnoses, and areas of struggle that your kid may be experiencing would be the next step.
This is a good starting point for a consultation and intake session. But, a therapist specializing in something relevant to your case is not the most vital thing. In the end, finding the right therapist in Philadelphia, PA is about your child/family feeling safe. The truth of the matter is that you could find a therapist that is at the top of their specialty. But, they may still not be right for you.
Being comfortable with a therapist is feeling safe around them. This means feeling like you can open up to them about situations where you may ordinarily feel shame. Plus, connecting with them personally, and liking their approach to therapy.
Discussing personal and vulnerable situations is very difficult. But, it is super important for your child, teen, and/or family to be able to do this with a therapist. By doing so, you can work to experience growth and healing. It is also possible that these feelings provoke shame because of past judgment. To be able to open up about them with a therapist, you need to be able to feel like they will not judge you.
Another important aspect of finding the right therapist in Philadelphia is being able to trust them. Some people find that learning about their therapist’s approach is the best way to build trust. This may involve understanding how the therapist views the areas in their life the client wishes to improve in. Or, understanding how empowered they feel throughout their treatment process. This is something that happens over time and sometimes requires patience.
You, as a client, will be more inclined to follow your therapist’s lead when you can trust them. When this occurs, you can be honest, and know they actually care. Again, feeling reassured in these areas definitely can take some time. But, it’s something important to look for while finding the right counselor for your child, teen, or family.
Having hard discussions about feelings or areas that need improvement can be very uncomfortable.
This is especially true when a family's conditioned to hold them in or had their feelings rejected in the past. Because these discussions are so hard, it is normal to feel a level of discomfort in doing so. Growth can often be accompanied by discomfort. An example of when this is often felt is within family therapy sessions. During these sessions, there may be disagreements or tearful moments. This is not the same as feeling uncomfortable with your counselor. Though, that is important to note.
There will be times in a therapy journey when you, your child, or your family may feel upset.
It likely won’t always be pleasant 100% of the time. These moments of unpleasant feelings are helpful for the therapy process. They can often uncover more areas that need work for the therapist.
A therapist in Philadelphia that is a good fit won’t take it on a personal level if you have unpleasant feelings. But, they will also use it as a chance to gain more insight into the root of the issue. In short, these are meant to act as teaching moments.
A counselor that is a good fit would also very likely switch up their techniques, theories, and therapy style. Especially when they can tell that something is not working well for the situation at hand.
Therapy is really more of an art than an exact science at times.
There are a lot of intervention styles and techniques to pull from when working with kids, teens, and parents. It is important to try to find a counselor that will individualize treatment based upon what you bring to your sessions.
Therapy can be very effective and beneficial. But, it needs the combination of the right therapist and the willingness of the client to be an active participant in treatment.
You may have decided you want to start therapy for your child or family. If so, you can schedule a free, 15-minute consultation call with one of our child or teen therapists today. Start the process of finding a mental health professional that is a good fit for you!
Begin Working With a Therapist in Philadelphia, PA
You deserve support in overcoming the concerns affecting you most. Our Philadelphia, PA practice has caring therapists happy to offer that support. You can start better caring for your mental health today. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Meet with a caring therapist
Start coping with grief and start living a full life!
Other Services Offered with Amel Therapy
Our team is happy to offer a variety of services from our Philadelphia, PA-based practice. We offer online therapy across the state and are happy to serve children, teens, kids and teens of color, parent coaching, and other parent support. We also offer grief therapy, trauma therapy, play therapy, and support groups as well. These include the worry warriors, culturally confident teen group, and teen girls group. Learn more by visiting our blog or by learning more about our team today!
