How do I Choose a Therapist? Credentials vs Chemistry

You know you need support but have no idea how to find it or how to choose the right therapist for you?

There’s a lot of options out there, so it’s understandable why most people don’t know who to go to and how to decide.

Do credentials matter?  And what do all those letters mean?

Different credentials involve different types of training, varying across many dimensions including, but not limited to:
– length of training
– types of client populations to work with
– amount and type of research that must be conducted
– strategies learned to help clients.

Even more confusing is that a lot of this is very dependent on school and country a therapists or Psychologist has been trained.

Clinical Psychologist is protected title in the US and many western countries.  This means that a certain level of training is required- and almost universally training to be a Clinical Psychologist is the longest, includes the most hours of clinical experience in different settings and integrates research. In addition, Psychologists have to complete additional training, typically 1-2 years of clinical work AFTER completing their PhD to get licensed.

So for me as a PhD level Clinical Psychologist, all in I went to school for 7 years after undergrad and completed a 2 years postdoctoral fellowship to specialize further.

Chemistry IS Essential!

Now some research has shown that outcomes in therapy aren’t correlated or predicted by the level of training a therapist has, but that it’s the strength of the therapeutic relationship that’s most important.  This means, it’s all about the chemistry and rapport you have with your therapist that predicts how beneficial therapy can be for you.

So while I am highly trained PhD Clinical Psychologist, I want you to find the right fit FOR YOU.  This is why I’m giving you lots of info and resources about me and how I work, so that YOU feel confident about choosing me as your therapist.  Feel free to sign up to receive more info from my library of resources or give me a call for a FREE consultation, so we can talk about how we can work together.  Cheers!

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