For context, I (23M) live in the United States. In Ohio. A bit concerned about privacy because of the whole Nazi problem and the fact that I live in an abusive household.
I’ve been working on myself a lot recently and realized that I can’t do this alone anymore (or rely on Internet strangers to talk about my issues). I feel like I finally have the strength to ask for help in the real world. I’ve just never done this before. What’s it like? Is it warm and fuzzy, or cold and analytical? (Does it feel like someone is providing care and comfort, or is it more like an emotionally detached scientist meticulously studying you and scribbling down notes while mumbling “Hmm, I see, I see” while you yap at them?) Do you start to see results right away, or are things slow at first? How much stuff is recorded in a database that other systems can look up?
First of all, different titles (e.g. psychologist, psychotherapist, social worker, counsellor, etc.) require different levels/types of education and experience and you should be able to look up whether they’re in good standing with your state/provincial/federally regulated organizations. So you can look up how long they’ve been practicing, and what qualifications they have.
Second of all, it’s common to try several before you find someone that’s a good fit. It might take a few sessions before you decide whether it’s a match.
Thirdly, be wary of anyone that seems to be asking leading questions or giving you advice on what to do. A good therapist will help you build the skills you need to come to your own decisions. No one knows your life better than you do and it’s their job to pass along the appropriate interpretation of their training on to you. They aren’t there to pass judgement on you, your life, or the people/relationships in your life.
Lastly, I wish you all the best. It took me a long time to find my current therapist and it’s been life changing. I learned a lot along the way, and I hope your journey brings you what you need.
Also the road to getting to that helpful therapist may be long, short, bumpy, or smooth, but is a journey worth taking and a rewarding process even if you have bad experiences with individual therapists not getting you, as weird as that is to say.
Absolutely.
I learned the hard way that just because someone is a therapist, it doesn’t mean they have all the answers. Makes me very grateful for all the good ones I met along the way ❤️