The Importance of a Good Therapist~

      Good afternoon, readers how are you all on this chilly fall afternoon. I hope this entry finds you doing well, and living in the moment and just doing the best you can. That is all any of us can do is our best and our best is Good enough.

  Today’s topic is “The importance of finding a good Therapist and why that is important “Besides discussing the vital role a therapist plays into your treatment, I will also share my personal stories of the good, the bad and the ugly of being in counseling over the years! So before, we dive into this topic ill share a bit of my experiences.

   My first experience with a councilor started as a teenager, when I was first diagnosed with major depression at 13-14 years old. This was a councilor my parents found and she was a older woman, but very kind and involved with my treatment plan. Thankfully, my first experience was a positive one, so I did not get a bad taste in my mouth of therapists. I was very fortunate, others I have known there first counseling appointment makes them doubt they can find compassionate therapists out there, and that is sad, because there are wonderful people in this field.

  That therapist started me  on a road, she knew her stuff, and very important  she was a good listener. Sadly, not all that can be said about. Later on after I was married, I had a  psychiatrist who thought he was God’s gift to psychiatrist, and that all his patients loved him. He was only suppose to be handling my medication aspect, but thought he could be my therapist too.

   He came across very ignorant. in truth this person never should have been working with the public, he also thought he knew it all, knew what was best all the time, he barely ever listened a;; he thought he should do is talk my ear off. every time I went into his office I had a panic attack and my blood pressure rose, not too long after I started seeing him, I stopped, he even had me admitted into a hospital, when I shouldn’t of been .As you can see  that was a bad experience.

   A couple years later I had a wonderful therapist, she started seeing me in her office and then she started doing home visits and she not only was my councilor, but she had become a good friend! We really bonded and she helped me immensely. When she left the practice because of health reasons I was heartbroken, but I understood. She helped me through many rough times in my life. The therapist I had after her I only had for a few years, but she was a sweetheart. Then I had to say goodbye to her because her practice was moving to Boston.

   The therapist I just started seeing a couple weeks ago, she is a a Christian, which is nice and her and I bonded, that’s so important, that both the therapist and client feel comfortable and it’s a growing relationship, if the bond isent there, then its heard to get anything positive from the therapy.

  So as you can see ive had more positive experiences than negative. So why is it important to seek out a good therapist and how do you go about that process.Well  when you seek out help  and treatment for your depression or anxiety or your dealing with issues and need to talk to someone professionally.the treatment plan is not just about medication, sometimes meds are involved, other times they aren’t, depends on the diagnosis.

  Talking about our feelings, and experiences and troubles we deal with on a daily basis whether with a spouse, friends or pastor are important  to keep healthy relationships going strong.  there are times when Professional counseling needs to be sought after. Someone who cares about People, that have got to be first, someone who is educated in this field, who can help you with cognitive skills and coping skills. Who helps you see the bigger picture? Who helps us make sense of the confusion and many thoughts floating around up there in our brains? Its important to feel connected to the person who you will be pouring your heart out to, if you’re not comfortable, then you need to speak up and let that be known and ask to see someone else.

   When you’re looking for a therapist, sometimes the best way to find a good one is through word of mouth, when a friend or someone we know sees one who  tells us about  so and so and they come highly recommended. another way we can is do research online, some therapists have a place on their practices website that people can rate them, look to see what other reviews of them are. You have a say in who you want.

      You have to make that call and does that bit or research, it won’t be done for you. And remember this… There is is not shame in seeing a therapist, it’s just someone to talk to who understands and can help you make your way through this maze of emotions your feeling!