Tia Larkin Counselling
Have you recently Googled something along the lines of “Therapy in [Province]"", or “Counselling for Anxiety and Depression” and you’ve been hit with a slew of options? Maybe you’re new to therapy or have years of experience under your belt; chances are if you are looking for a therapist, you’re overwhelmed, stressed, or having difficulty in your day-to-day life. It can be hard to even reach out to anyone! Ultimately, it comes down to who you think is the best fit, as you are the expert on your process and what you need (even if it doesn’t always feel like it). I wanted to provide some things to consider when it comes to choosing to see someone for one-on-one, or relationship therapy.
Note: I will be using counsellor/counselling and therapist/therapy interchangeably in this piece
1) Relationship, Relationship, Relationship
One of the most important factors when it comes to success in therapy, is the therapeutic relationship, otherwise known by a few of my clients as the “vibe they get”. Carl Rogers, the founder of Person-Centered Therapy, defined the relationship as being central to any therapeutic process. In my own experience as a client, and now as therapist, I can certainly agree with the importance of this often-overlooked factor when it comes to finding someone who fits. Some ways to get a sense of this:
Do they offer a consultation? This may be over the phone or in person, as a risk-free opportunity to meet the person before diving in and paying big bucks for their service. You can ask any questions you might have and give a basic description of what you’re hoping to tackle in your time with a therapist.
Do they have a website/ Business Social Media Pages? Check them out! Another risk-free way to get to know them from the comfort of your smartphone.
Ask community members you love and trust if they have anyone they would recommend, and why?
Remember that even if you begin to see someone, if at any point you feel like they aren’t a good fit it can impede on the process. This is not to be confused with feeling uncomfortable with therapy – it can be a fine line, but therapy can sometimes be a challenging process for the client. Feel free to discuss this with your counsellor, as it is something they may not have picked up on, and they will be able to assist with this or provide alternative therapist through a referral if that’s what you would prefer.
2) The Niche or Specialized Training
Certain experiences respond better to specific types of treatment. For example, if you’re hoping to work on your Substance Use, Motivational Interviewing might be an important skill set you’d like a therapist to have. DBT is the best-known treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. If you’re coming to tackle the effects of trauma, having someone with trauma-informed practice will be important. If you’re looking to have psychological assessments, or a formal diagnosis, a psychologist is most qualified.
It may be something bit broader, less specific, or an exploration of your life to better understand where you are today. Another aspect to consider is the potential therapist’s niche, or passions. Not only will you benefit from the knowledge and experience they have on the topic, but their passion will energize your sessions.
Another point to consider is checking in with your values and seeing yourself reflected through the populations they indicate are experienced working with, even if that isn’t what you’re hoping to work on directly in your therapeutic process. For example, I love working with those who identify as queer, poly, kinky, or sex workers, and some clients come to talk about those aspects of their lives, but for many others it’s simply a part of themselves they want respected, while they tackle their anxiety.
3) Credentials
In certain provinces (NS, NB, ON, QC, and AB), counselling therapy is a regulated profession, which means there are authorities that oversee and protect the “title” to ensure that everyone who uses the title has the same standard of education and training.
Registration: Counselling is not a regulated profession in the province of British Columbia. That means that there are many folks doing similar work with varying titles, levels of education, and certification (…or not). If this is something that is important to you, please contact the therapist of interest and ask them if they are registered with any regulatory body for their work.
Education: Is it important that your counsellor went to graduate school for counselling? Has an undergrad in social work? Studied at the PhD level, and has a dissertation in mental health treatment? This may or may not be an important factor to consider. Most counsellors do additional training known as Continued Education (CE) for credit and for many regulatory associations, they require a certain amount per year to remain registered. This training can be in so many areas, from a specific modality of therapy, to diverse population concerns; education on specific mental health concerns to or suicide assessment. Grad school programs could only offer us so much; it’s often up to the individual to seek out additional training to become more competent and comfortable working with their clients.
Lived Experience: In therapy the focus is completely on you and your process. Knowing that the therapist has lived experience with something that may otherwise be stigmatized, that you identify with, can provide some comfort coming into the therapeutic relationship. I openly identify as a queer woman so that my clients know that I have a lived understanding of what it means to be queer. I am also open about the fact that I have been in and continue to go to therapy myself. For some, this commonality can be important, for others, it’s totally not. Again, it’s completely individual.
4) Finances
If you have extended health benefits, the credentials your counsellor has will likely have an impact on whether their services will be covered by your plan. Find out which helping professionals are covered under your plan. For example: perhaps therapy is a benefit you have, of up to $500/year, but the fine print states that they only honour that benefit with Registered Psychologists. It is tricky, but you something to check on before you get the “submit surprise” after you’ve already paid for a few sessions.
If your place of employment has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) they may be partnered with a specific organization that matches you with an available therapist for a limited number of sessions. More on this in the next session.
Professionals of varying certifications may charge differently. For example, it would be more expensive to see a Psychologist than a Counsellor. Many therapists will offer a limited number of sliding scale appointments, you can always check to see if their rate is firm or if they have this option available. We recognize that finances are often a barrier to folks who are trying to access; I encourage you to chat with the person you are hoping to see about your financial resources for therapy to see what can be done to assist.
5) an Organization or Private Practice
If you have an EAP that is covered by your employer it often makes a lot of sense financially to go that route. Unfortunately, you may not have as much choice in choosing who you will be matched with. If you are hoping to access therapy through an organization, either non-profit or within your provincial health system, there may be an extensive wait as well as little autonomy in choosing who might be the best fit.
Private practice counsellors often have much less wait-time than when you go through an organization but are going to cost more money up front. Therefore, when it comes to this consideration you may have to balance how soon you are hoping to see someone versus financial resources.
6) Availability / Timing / Location
Part of the benefit of working in private practice is that we get the flexibility of making our hours and choose our locations (with some restrictions, of course). Some of us have wait lists. Some are away on maternity leave. Some will have business hours during the day through the weekdays. Some offer online booking so you can see exactly when they have a free appointment space in the coming weeks. Some offer weekend or evening appointments. Hopefully you will find someone with a schedule that works with yours.
What about the office location: is it accessible to you? Close to bus routes if you commute that way? Video/Skype sessions are often being offered by the folks who feel comfortable using that modality, and therapy in my PJs? Yes please! Video sessions can make so many other therapists a viable option
7) What does your Gut have to say?
Even with all of these external, logistical factors: what is your internal wisdom saying? Take time to reflect on your consultations, your e-mail correspondence, their websites: who excites you? Who do you look forward to meeting with? Do you feel progress being made? Are you feeling respected? My friends, don’t underestimate the power of your gut!
Choosing a therapist can feel like a big decision. It’s a big step for some folks to even consider looking for a therapist in the first place, so kudos! Ultimately, who you choose to see is up to you, because YOU are the expert on your life and your process. Please know that you are so capable, you’re taking a big step for your wellness, and you got this. Any therapist would be lucky to meet you, but I hope you find one who fits!
