CHOOSING A THERAPIST

How does one set about choosing a therapist ?
Among the hordes of therapies on offer, how do you know if you are pushing the right door ? Over and above any titles or qualifications, an important yardstick will be the resonance of two beings on a personal level. The best description in the world still says nothing about the therapist with whom we will deposit a portion of our lives.

During the consultation, a comfortable relationship needs to be established, one in which we feel secure, and dare to expose ourselves. Values, life experience and outlook on the world, as well as many other untold elements (even things like the colour of the walls) will all form part of the sense of security we feel and need ; something has to “click”. The first session is often revealing ; intuition lifts its voice.
Within a session, questions concerning the therapeutic process can be clarified, as well as any queries concerning particular words or phrases that are used.

Some professional distinctions :
Titles, diplomas, and abilities abound in the advertising we see around us every day …a soup of words that could cause indigestion in the newcomer. Below is an attempt to distinguish between the different professions which treat the mind.

→ The Psychologist has made scientific studies to understand the human psyche in general terms. The psychologist has many ways to practise his profession ; receiving clients in one-to-one meetings is one of the possibilities. Psychology is a regulated profession.

→ The activity of a Counsellor (also a regulated profession) treats the sphere of relationships, both emotionally and sexually. Counsellors also have different ways of practising their profession. Those that have consultations, either one-to-one, in a couple, or as a family, usually have a special interest in the relationships between the people involved.
Not to be confused with the role of Counsellor is the Mediator, whose aim is to favour communication within the couple for a better reconciliation in the case of separation. Here the main function lies in the legal area and contributes towards freeing up the tribunals.

→ The Psychotherapist’s aim is to alleviate, or even end, a psychic suffering, to understand a symptom or a way of behaving, to help the client work on himself towards self-realization. His work is done exclusively in meetings with his clients.

Psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors all approach the mind from multiple angles : humanistic ; psychoanalytic ; systemic ; behavioral ; …each therapist choosing according to his natural inclinations.

→ The Psychoanalyst is the fervent defender of psychoanalysis in its clinical practise. Here, it is not a diploma that gains one a title, but the recognition of fellow psychoanalysts who validate the clinical practise.