Choosing a Therapist

Why Do You See A Therapist?

- sad, depressed, tired
- lose interest in daily activities
- trouble sleeping, trouble eating
- unmanageable fears
- to seek support

In Alberta, Canada, approximately 200,000 people each year
seek help. Counseling may not fix your life but can enable you to
cope more effectively.

What Is A Therapist?

A therapist is a person who has training and skills to help you sort
out problems.

Before You Begin Looking For A Therapist, You Should
Know:

- what has led you to want a therapist?
- do you want short term or long term counseling?
- what are your expectations about therapy?
- what are your fears?
- do you have concerns about gender, sexual preferences,
race, religion of a therapist?
- what can you pay?
- have you had a physical exam by your doctor?

Helpful Therapists Are:

- genuine, willing to share
- have respect and a high positive requard for the consumer
- warm and empathetic, responsive and active
- firm but NOT authoritarian
- sees consumer as an expert on their own lives and is an active
partner in the healing process
- they will be willing to refer you to another professional if
necessary

Types Of Therapists:

Medical model - until recently this was the leading type of therapy.
An example may be a psychiatrist.

Counselors:

have various backgrounds and training. A title does not
necessarily mean quality. However, background of a therapist is
a good starting point to evaluate a therapist.

* Should you ever have a harmful therapy experience you should
notify the licensing body or association *

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*Once again these are only suggestions,
should you feel someone needs ,
 help, get them help immediately. NEVER try to
 help someone alone*