Many persons have written to me asking for advice on how
to select a psychologist. The worst mistake you can make would be to get
one referral and then start seeing that person—unless the referral comes
from someone you trust. But if it comes from Aunt Sara’s neighbor’s
manicurist, watch out.
So, unless you
can identify someone with clearly demonstrated competence and who has the
skills to work with your particular
problem,
you will have to “shop around.”
I don’t
know how I would find
myself
if I didn’t know me—so to speak, I mean—so in lieu of someone
having a website you might just have to look in the Yellow Pages or talk
to friends to get a few names of psychologists who are in your area. Then
call several names. But don’t just start seeing the first person who
answers—if anyone answers at all.
Leaving a
Message
If you get an
answering service or machine, leave a short message to the effect that
you’re looking for a psychologist and would like to speak in person
with someone. Briefly describe your reason for seeking psychotherapy.
Be sure to leave some good times to reach you over the next several days.
Then sit back and wait. Your first point of evaluation will be how long it
takes for someone to call you back, because this relates to integrity and
responsibility. (If you call on a Friday afternoon, however, don’t expect
a call back until the following week.) After all, if you have to wait a week
for a call back, how do you think it will be if you’re an established
client asking for something?
The Telephone
Interview
Once you get
to speak with someone, remember that as a
consumer
you have the right to interview the psychologist thoroughly. You should begin
by describing your reasons for seeking psychotherapy so that it can
be determined if your needs fit with the psychologist’s practice. Following
are some other issues about which you may want to inquire.
Look for a breadth
to the psychologist’s education and training. And be sure to evaluate
the degree of
honesty
and candidness with which you are treated. You can really put the
psychologist’s honesty and candidness to the test by asking about various
personal and moral issues. Remember, unlike a physician or dentist, your
psychologist’s personal values will have an influence—whether openly
or unconsciously—on your own values. For example,
if you are trying to heal difficulties in your marriage and your psychologist
has been divorced five times, you face the risk that your psychologist will
be inclined to influence you to get
a divorce. Therefore, you may ask whether the psychologist is married
or not, and why; whether the psychologist has any children or not,
and why; whether the psychologist has been divorced or not, and why;
what religion, if any, he or she practices, and why; and what sexual
orientation he or she follows, and why. If you get defensive answers
or a cold, clinical response, well, let’s just say you are being forewarned
about how you will be treated when you have doubts or questions during the
on-going psychotherapy itself.
Shopping
Around
Select at least
two candidates who seem favorable and set up an appointment to discuss things
in person. Ask any questions you did not ask over the telephone. But make
it clear that you are “shopping around” and want to interview several
candidates. Then let the psychologist take it from there. A competent
psychologist will do his or her best to help you in that session and won’t
feel at all uncomfortable in letting you walk away. After all, if he or she
has done a good job, you might be back. You should, of course, expect to
pay for that session because it really is a psychotherapy session.
Don’t jump
to any conclusions. Someone might seem like the best psychotherapist in the
world, but someone else further down your list of candidates might be even
better. You never know, so see everyone on the list. And remember that this
interview process, however long it takes, is really part of the process of
getting help. You will learn many things about yourself just in this
initial selection process.
After you’ve
seen everyone, select the best pick of the lot. And then contract to see
that person for about six sessions to see how things go. If you feel comfortable,
you can continue for as long as you need.
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If for any reason
you do not feel comfortable with the psychotherapy, be sure to tell the
psychologist exactly what you are experiencing. Quite often, psychotherapy
provokes uncomfortable feelings, known as a
transference
reaction, and the whole point of treatment is to deal with these feelings
in the treatment, not to run away from them.
Now, at this point, one of three things could happen. First, your talking
about your feelings could deepen and enrich the treatment.
Second, after talking things over, you might both agree that you should see
someone else; in that case,
terminate
psychotherapy politely and reconsider one of the candidates you have previously
interviewed.
Third, the psychologist might get annoyed with you, and you might be left
feeling very foolish. In that case, you may have stumbled across a
psychotherapist who—to say it politely—is less than competent.
So
terminate
psychotherapy politely, don’t look back, and reconsider one of the
candidates you have previously interviewed. |
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Note that
though I have referred throughout this page to “the psychologist,”
the same suggestions can be applied to any other person performing
psychotherapy.
For information about various types of practitioners,
such as Psychologist, LCSW, MFT, and Counselor,
and what all those letters mean,
see the page of this website called
Psychology:
Clinical, or Counseling, or...?
For more information
about the actual process of psychotherapy,
see the section of this website called
Questions and Answers About
Psychotherapy.
No
advertising—no sponsor—just the simple truth . . .
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Additional
Resources
Related pages within A Guide to Psychology and
its Practice:
Confidentiality
Consumer Rights and
Office Policies
Legal Issues
The Limits of
Psychology
Psychology:
Clinical or Counseling or ...?
Questions and Answers
about Psychotherapy
Reasons to Visit a
Psychologist
Termination of
Psychotherapy
Types of Psychological
Treatment
CONTACT ME
INDEX of all subjects
on this website
SEARCH this
website
A Guide to Psychology
and its Practice
www.GuideToPsychology.com
Copyright © 1997-2008 Raymond Lloyd Richmond, Ph.D. All rights
reserved.
San Francisco, California USA
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