If you felt that you had a problem that would benefit from psychological therapy, how would you go about finding a therapist? Are certain professionals more qualified than others? How could you determine that you were going to see the type of therapist who could help as opposed to a professional who would not be helpful or perhaps even make things worse? These are only a few of the questions people commonly have when they start looking for a therapist.

Finding a "good" therapist is not as easy as it may appear at first glance. We face many of the same problems when we try to find a "good" medical doctor, accountant, or dentist. Asking a friend for a recommendation ignores the fact that some approaches to therapy work better with some problems than others. Also, every therapeutic relationship is different, so one person's experience in therapy is not translatable to another person's.

The more informed you are about therapeutic orientations and a particular therapist's areas of specialization, the better the decision you can make. Also consider how important it is that the therapist be the same sex as you or the opposite sex, whether it is important to you that the therapist have experience with your specific difficulty, and whether other specific characteristics matter to you.

Calling around and asking specific questions about approaches and specializations is one way to become informed about the services offered by therapists. You may want to ask these kinds of questions during your first visit. Most professionals are quite comfortable talking about their background and training. They realize that your confidence and trust is a key factor in how well therapy will work for you.

Once you have begun therapy, evaluate your progress from time to time. Whenever you feel dissatisfied with how your therapy is going, discuss this feeling with your therapist. If your dissatisfaction persists, you can always look for another therapist. Do not conclude that just because one therapist has not been helpful none will be. All therapists and therapeutic relationships are different.

Keep in mind, however, that changing your behavior or way of thinking can be very difficult. Because a large part of therapy involves the development of a relationship with the therapist, it may take several meetings to really know if things are going well. One suggestion is to wait until you have attended four to six weekly meetings. If things still do not seem to be going the way you would like, discuss your progress with the therapist and ask what you should expect. Setting specific goals with specific time expectations can be helpful.