The goal for you as a patient is to find a therapist who you will be able to open up to—someone who will help give you confidence, and respond to you with assurance and comfort without judgment.
The right therapist can make a world of difference on your well-being.
Your therapist understands your initial reservations: Many people are nervous when they go to therapy for the first time because they don’t know what to expect. It’s normal to feel this way. You are stepping into a room with a complete stranger and you’re going to tell them your deepest secrets. It’s going to feel very odd, and it’s okay to feel that way.
Your therapist should understand your initial reservations while also helping you move past them so that you can open up and work on your well-being.
Look for a connection: You have to feel some kind of connection to the therapist in some form. It is important that you feel understood by your therapist, and a connection can often let you know if you will. The connection can be anything: the topic of conversation, the fact that you are comfortable in their presence, you feel that you can trust them, or you feel like you can talk with them about the problems you are having.
It might be difficult to understand: what kind of connection am I looking for? Think of it like this: you meet a new person. You don’t know how or why, but you can sense that you two will end up being good friends. You can just feel it.
It’s the same as when you meet someone who ends up being your partner. You may not know right away when you meet that you’ll end up dating, but something is there. Something feels good and right, relaxing or maybe even familiar.
It is possible that meeting your therapist will feel the same kind of way. You know that eventually you’ll be able to open up to this person and go deeper into your feelings. It’s hard to pinpoint what the connection will be, but you should be able to sense that your well-being is in good hands.
Ask yourself some vital questions: Do you feel like you can open up to this person? This can be a tough question to answer, especially when just meeting your therapist. But you want to feel you can eventually open up to your therapist. It might not happen right away, but you build up to it. You should feel that this therapist gets you and that he/she can relate to you. It goes back to feeling that connection again.
Other important questions: Do I feel supported by this therapist? Do I feel like I’m in a comfortable, non-judgmental place? Does this therapist get me?
Feel free to get in touch with Reka’s office by phone at 402-881-8125, by email at reka@omaha-counseling.com, or via Twitter or Facebook.
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photo credit: Lynn Friedman via photopin cc
