PART 2

PART 1 of this article discussed reasons why people might avoid going to therapy. Maybe you read it, prayed about it, and said to yourself, “Well, there goes that excuse — time to find a therapist!” For any of you ready to take the plunge, we will now look at how to “shop smart” as a Catholic therapy consumer.

Learn something about a therapist before you choose to see them.

Open discussion of the ways in which God touches your life can add another dimension to your therapy experience. And while all therapists ought to make their office a safe place for you to talk about all aspects of your life, including your faith, you might want to look for a therapist who indicates that faith, or at least spirituality, is a subject with which they are comfortable. On one popular counselor search site, there is literally a “faith-friendly” option that can be checked by the therapist on their info page.

What about once you are in the office?

Just because you start with a counselor does not mean you have to stay with them. Let’s look     at these two points:

• If you are talking about hurting yourself, a quick diagnosis can be very important. But in general, you don’t want your therapist to be too quick to decide what makes you tick. A counselor who is in a rush to diagnose you in your first session might be too interested in just checking boxes and moving on to the next person. Hopefully, your counselor will first and foremost see you as a human being who is hurting and allow for the possibility that more than one session might be needed to get to the heart of what you are dealing with. If a counselor takes insurance, be aware that they might be required to submit a diagnosis to your insurance company to receive payment for their services; the diagnosis can be changed later. (Nonprofits, such as Catholic Family Services, often use a sliding fee scale and are not mandated to diagnose immediately.)

• You might realize early on that you just aren’t connecting with your therapist. Purposefully building rapport, or a positive relationship, with clients should be important to any therapist, but chemistry is also a factor. You want to feel as comfortable as possible while discussing uncomfortable issues. Every counselor has a different personality, and it is OK to try one on for size and decide they are just not a good fit.

Remember that you are in the driver’s seat. Do your best to choose a therapist who seems right for you, and give yourself the option to try someone else if it is not a good fit. Most importantly, pray. Ask God to point you in the right direction and to bless you on your healing journey.