Have you ever wondered about the benefits of therapy? Or how to find a therapist?
In 2019, I reached out to a therapist that I found on PsychologyToday.com. After reading their bio and learning more about them, I felt like we could be a great match. But after reaching out, I quickly changed my mind. I decided that I wasn’t in a place to start therapy, so I let the therapist know and ultimately decided to hold off.
In 2021, I had once again thought about trying therapy. This time I did the same thing – I researched PsychologyToday.com, found a therapist that I thought I’d mesh well with given their specialties and what I was looking for in a therapist, and I reached out.
When they replied, something really funny happened – it ended up being the SAME therapist that I had originally reached out to in 2019 – I had no idea! We laughed about this and naturally I took it as a sign that this was the therapist for me : )
Many, many months later we are still working together, and I am very grateful to have them in my life.
Therapy, for me, has been life changing. It helps me navigate big decisions, build confidence, and work through the things and thoughts that might negatively affect my day to day life.
Therapy might still be a bit taboo, but hopefully this blog post can help to normalize it. If you are here to see if therapy may be a good fit for you, I’m so happy you’re here and I can’t wait for you to read this post!
Please note that this post comes from my personal experience in therapy, and yours may be different should you choose to try it : )
This post is all about the benefits of therapy and how to find a therapist.
1) You can talk about things you don’t want to talk about with anyone else
Is there something on your mind that you don’t feel comfortable sharing or talking about with anyone in your personal life? If so, you may benefit from seeing a therapist.
The thing about therapy, in my experience, is that it’s a safe space to talk about whatever you want to work through or get off your chest. Therapy provides an environment where you can process something alongside someone else, without judgement.
You may not feel comfortable opening up to your therapist at first, but over time you may find yourself wanting to talk about certain things that have been on your mind.
There are things I’ve opened up to my therapist about (after building a trusting relationship) that I never thought I would say to anyone! And when I tell you it’s been absolutely freeing, that’s an understatement.
It can be hard, and even scary, to try to work through things all by yourself. But with therapy, you have someone on your side whose sole purpose is to help you with those things.
2) You can choose what you’d like to talk about
On the flip side, in my experience, it’s important to note that a therapist won’t make you talk about something that you’re not ready to talk about. They will wait until you’re comfortable – if you ever get there.
They might encourage you to open up if they sense that you are struggling with something, but they will also be respectful and understanding if you aren’t ready to speak about that thing.
You should never feel any pressure to talk about things you don’t want to talk about. A therapist is there to help you when you’re ready for help, but otherwise, they’ll wait until you’re ready.
3) Therapists offer a different perspective
If you’re only ever opening up to a parent, sibling, best friend or partner about the things you have going on in your life, you may be getting very limited or biased perspectives and advice.
A therapist’s perspective is one that they’ve developed over years of education and practice. Most therapists have been trained in very specific types of therapy that they can then exercise and apply to your life.
While the people closest to you are likely trying their very best to help you, there’s something to be said about someone who has been trained to help you. This leads me to my next point!
4) Therapists can give you the tools you need to deal with the things that you struggle with
Not only is a therapist someone that can help you talk through the things that you are struggling with, but they can also provide specific tools that can help you, too.
Whether they’re helping you set goals, suggesting podcasts or books, recommending you use affirmations or journal prompts – therapists usually have many tools and resources up their sleeve to help you work through your biggest issues – even after the time you spend together in a session.
The materials that your therapist provides will further help you deal with whatever you have going on in your life.
5) The support is comforting
Sometimes we just need someone to listen to us and tell us that everything is going to be OK. Whenever I have felt really worked up or worried about a situation, simply saying it out loud and talking about it with my therapist does wonders.
Your therapist will always want the best for you. That means that they’ll be so happy for you when you make a breakthrough, begin to shift your mindset around something in a more positive direction, or even simply just feel better about something!
If you don’t feel like you get a lot of support from people in your personal life, having a therapist can be a game changer.
6) Therapy can give you hope
This is perhaps the biggest benefit of therapy that I’ve experienced. I can make things such a big deal in my head that I feel like I’m doomed, but when I talk about them in therapy, I’m able to see the light at the end of the tunnel – all thanks to my therapist.
This makes therapy well worth it for me personally, and I’m so glad I decided to start it up again last year.
Related Content:
- 7 Tips for Public Speaking
- What I Learned From 34 Interviews During The Great Resignation
- 7 Things to Expect When Starting a New Remote Job
- Making New Friends After College? Yep, It’s Tough
How To Find a Therapist on PsychologyToday.com
If therapy sounds like something you might like to try, I recommend browsing PsychologyToday.com. Psychology Today is where I found my therapist, and I think they do a great job of showcasing the different strengths and specialties of therapists all over the world.
While PsychologyToday.com isn’t the only way you can find a therapist, it’s what I used and what has worked for me personally.
Finding the right therapist for you
When you visit PsychologyToday.com, you will be prompted to enter your zip code. Once you do this, the website will gather all therapists in your area.
On PsychologyToday.com, therapists are able to build profiles where they can post a picture, write a bio about themselves, and give details regarding the services that they offer and the kind of people that they typically help.
You will find a TON of information on their profiles that can help you find the right therapist for you. Some therapists also offer a link to their personal website, where you can learn even more about them.
Specialties & Issues
To the right of the therapists’ profiles, they will outline what they specialize in, as well as any other issues that they tend to tackle, like so:
Is there something that you’d like help with specifically? If so, this section of Psychology Today profiles can be really helpful. By browsing therapist profiles and looking here, you can find a therapist that specializes in what you need help with specifically.
Mental Health & Sexuality
Therapists can also list which mental health disorders they have experience with, such as Mood Disorders or Thinking Disorders, and the sexualities that they work with.
Client Focus
They will also likely have a section called “Client Focus”. Here, a therapist can list attributes of clients that they typically work with, like ethnicity, languages, age, and/or faith.
Treatment Approach & Modality
You will also find the types of therapy that the therapist is trained in, and what “modality” they primarily work with. Here, “modality” will tell you if the therapist works with individuals, couples, groups, etc.
If you’re looking for a therapist for just yourself, for example, you’ll want to find a therapist who lists the modality “Individuals”.
Online Therapy
Would you prefer online therapy (think video calls) versus travelling to your therapist’s office for an in-person visit? If yes, look on their profiles for an icon that says “Offers online therapy”.
I personally do my therapy via video and it’s been great! I moved about 7 hours away from my therapist’s location and wouldn’t be able to visit them at their office anyway.
If you find a therapist that looks like a great match, but they’re not located in your zip code, you may still be able to work with them if they offer online therapy.
Qualifications
Therapists’ Psychology Today profiles also list their qualifications (i.e. things like their education and credentials). Details like what school they attended and when, and any relevant licenses and certificates will be listed.
Pricing
A therapist’s profile will also list the price of a session with that therapist, and what insurance plans they accept, if any.
If you do have insurance, it’s likely beneficial for you to find a therapist that accepts yours. Not all therapists accept insurance.
Free Consultations
Once you find a therapist that looks like a good match, you can usually email or call them. I personally sent an email to my prospective therapist and was then able to have a free, 15 minute consultation to see if we clicked!
On our phone call, I told them what I thought I might need some help with, and we eventually came to the conclusion that they could help me, and that we could work together.
If, for whatever reason, it’s decided (by you or the therapist that you speak to) that they might not be the right match for you, that’s alright! You can always ask that therapist if they might know of someone that you could work well with, or you can continue to browse other therapists on PsychologyToday.com.
It’s also possible that you’ll have to try out a therapist or two before finding the right one for you. You may not find the right one on the first try. I wish there was a way to guarantee the right match at first, but unfortunately it’s not always that easy! Just know that this is pretty common (I’ve experienced it myself), but taking the time to find the right therapist for you will be so worth it.
I hope this post has been helpful for you to learn a little bit more about therapy and how you can find a therapist! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below : )
This post was all about the benefits of therapy and how to find a therapist.
Other posts you might like:
- Orange Theory Review and 8 Tips – BEGINNER 2022
- How I Paid Off $60k of Student Loan Debt in 4.5 Years: A Timeline
- 22 Super Helpful Tips to Get Up Early for a Workout
- Moving States? Here Are 15 Moving Costs To Plan For
