Reasons you may want to seek out therapy and how to find the right clinician
The Benefits of Therapy
Working with a psychologist or counsellor provides you the opportunity to explore your personal thoughts, feelings and behavioural patterns [1]. Therapy can also allow you to learn, develop, and foster new coping strategies and techniques to help you better manage daily stressors as well as other symptoms that may require support [1]. Therapy helps you work on habits that you may want to change; improve, understand, and communicate about relationships in your life; and practice self-reflection and self-awareness [1]. Individuals may also feel empowered and develop insights into their life upon working with a therapist and attending therapy sessions [1; 2].
Therapy may also help improve your communication skills, improve your sleep, increase your happiness and overall life satisfaction, improve productivity, and improve how you manage your behavioural health [2]. Research has also shown that therapy can even help lower blood pressure and reduce chronic pain, thereby improving our physical health [2]!
Who is Therapy for?
Fortunately, therapy is for anyone! Some people seek out therapy if they feel as though they need support with a challenging life event or situation; to address symptoms that may be negatively impacting their well-being, such as sadness, guilt, or anger; to treat a diagnosis that they may have; to work on relationship challenges; to help with emotional challenges to navigate life transitions; among many other reasons [2]!
Another great thing about therapy is that it can be preventative, such that you may not have a specific symptom or situation that you need immediate assistance with. Rather, you may be feeling great mentally and emotionally, but you may want to engage in deeper self-exploration or develop preventative strategies and healthy techniques to continue to improve your well-being. Overall, therapy is truly for anyone, regardless of age or where you are at in your life.
How Can I Find the Right Clinician for Me?
An article in Psychology Today suggests that there are three steps to finding the right psychologist or counsellor for you: research, interview, and rapport [3]. According to this article, the first step in finding the right clinician for you is to narrow down your selection by reflecting on what is important to you [3]. For instance, is cost important? Proximity to the office? Gender? After you have narrowed down your selection by considering factors that are important to you, the next step is to contact the clinicians you have chosen to see if they will be a good fit [3]. Some questions you may want to ask your include, but are not limited to:
How long have you been working in this field?
What is your speciality?
Can you tell me about your education and training background? How is this intervention supposed to work?
How much do your services cost?
And any other questions that you deem appropriate and important [3].
After you have chosen a clinician, it is important that you have a comfortable connection with them [3]. Rapport is an understanding between you and your therapist and refers to feelings of connection and engagement between the two of you [3]. It is important to gauge how you feel when you are interacting together, as therapy may have you feeling vulnerable at certain points [3]. When you have good rapport with your clinician, you are more likely to understand and be understood, as well as agree on the goals of therapy and how to reach these goals [3].
Low-Cost Counselling
Therapy can certainly be expensive, but our student counsellor, Marcy, offers a sliding-scale option for her clients. As a nurse, Marcy’s career has been built on caring and partnership. She has shared in many vulnerable moments, on the best and worst of days and she is glad to be able to bring this patience and presence to the counselling space. Not unlike the physical body, Marcy believes in your resilience and your innate capacity for healing. Marcy believes in your ability to create change in your life. Whether you are in the midst of a difficult transition, welcoming a new chapter, or sitting in the discomfort of something that feels unbearable, counselling can be a welcome space to slow down, receive, and practice being your most authentic self. She is happy to support you on your journey and empower you to take the next steps with more grace and ease. Counselling is a gift to yourself and a radical form of self-care- to offer your time, attention and courage to venture inward. She is currently completing her graduate studies in Counselling Psychology and is supervised by Registered Psychologist, Chris Graham. If you have any questions about Marcy’s sliding-scale options or to book a free 30-minute session, please email info@highpointpsychology.com.
Please visit our website (https://www.highpointpsychology.com/) for more information on Marcy, or our other psychologists to see who might be the right fit for you!
Blog post written by Kassandra Burk, Marcy Kralik, and Dr. Andrea Stelnicki.
*The information contained in this blog post is based on a narrative review of available literature. Some studies may have been unintentionally omitted. You are advised to speak with a healthcare professional to determine if the information is appropriate to your specific circumstances.*
References
[1] Abellon, C. (2020). Benefits and Options for Therapy. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-therapy#individual
[2] Olivine, A. (2022). 8 Benefits of Therapy. Very Well Health. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-therapy-5219732
[3] Emamzadeh, A. (2020). How to Find the Right Therapist. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/finding-new-home/202001/how-find-the-right-therapist
