How do I choose
the right Counsellor?
This is an important question, to which
there is no simple formula. However, the following tips will assist you
in finding a good fit with a therapist. Keep in mind:
The counsellor works for you. Within the
terms of service offered by the counsellor, your needs and goals are
primary. Though different therapy methods require different levels of
therapist intervention, in the bigger picture the therapist should not
be talking more than you are. Unless you are in an acute
crisis state, your therapist should allow space for you to draw your own
conclusions, not tell you how to think, feel or act. Remember: It’s
all about you!
Choosing a counsellor is very personal. In
addition to credentials, experience, and reputation, you want to have a
counsellor you respect, whose judgment you value, and with whom you have
rapport. Your counsellor may confront you on certain issues, or ways of
thinking, but the intervention should be constructive, respectful,
compassionate, and designed to move you forward, not shame you.
Select a counsellor with good boundaries.
Your counsellor should be on time for appointments, follow through on
commitments, and end the session on time. Your counsellor should be
clear that the therapeutic relationship is not a friendship; it is a
privileged relationship designed primarily to benefit you, and is
safeguarded by ethical and legal standards, such as confidentiality.
Here are some attributes clients have
chosen in determining the “ideal” counsellor. What factors are most
important to you?
