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Therapy
Engaging in psychotherapy demands a lot from those involved. Whether it is as an individual, couple, family, or group; psychotherapy can prove an exhaustive and an enriching experience.
It is a financial commitment, a time commitment, and most of all a commitment to work together.
Personally, I find that therapy is an exploration of one's life. It is important that you understand that therapy is like making a personal investment into you.
If you dedicate yourself to the process, you will discover that you feel better and improve your ability to manage your own life. You will discover a variety of ways to cope with negative thoughts
and perspective that you have held onto for years. It will teach you to accept that which you have no control. It is possible that you will gain skills and a new state of resiliency. You will discover
a variety of methods to deal with your emotions and feelings that you once thought controlled you. Likewise, the benefits of therapy will be that you have a basket of tools that you can draw upon when facing other challenges in your life now and in the future.

The decision to begin therapy marks the beginning of a significant investment in one’s quality of life and relationships. Finding the right therapist is a highly personal decision, and you’ll want to find someone who feels like a good match.
Many people are hesitant to ask a doctor questions about their background or experience. Remember you are the consumer and any competent professional should welcome questions or concerns regarding their expertise or the therapy process. Most therapists offer initial consultations for a set fee. Use this time as an opportunity to find out about the therapist, talk about your goals and reasons for pursuing therapy, and ask for their assessment of your situation and how they might help you. Through this process, you’ll decide whether this therapist is someone with whom you feel comfortable and confident.
Questions for a potential therapist or office manager.
- What is your education, training, and background?
- Are you licensed or certified by your professional board?
- What is your approach to therapy?
- How much of your caseload is treating my kind of problem?
- How long are appointments, how often should I see you, and how long does therapy generally take for my kind of problem?
- Are you available for emergency consultation if I experience a crisis?
- What are your policies regarding confidentiality (especially re: couples therapy, family therapy, and treatment of a minor)?
- What is your assessment of me and my situation?
- If you formulate a specific diagnosis, will you inform me?
- What are your views on (mention any specific issue, such as gender roles, marriage and divorce, religion, etc., that is important to you)?
- For couples and family therapy, in particular - Are you married? Do you have any children?
- Are there any potential risks to therapy?
- What advice do you give clients about getting the most from their therapy experience?
- What are your fees and financial policies (charges for telephone calls between sessions, cancellations, missed appointments)?
- Do you take insurance?
Evaluating a Potential Therapist
- Training: In general, your therapist should have professional credentials including specialized training in the area of your problem.
- Experience: In order to work well with you, a therapist should be quite experienced with the type of problem you are trying to resolve.
- Connection and “Good Fit”: Research shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is a primary factor in making therapy successful. You should feel comfortable with the therapist you select and sense that he/she is competent and prepared to help you achieve your goals.
- Personal Boundaries: A good therapist should be warm and friendly and may share some relevant details about his own life, but he should never spend the session discussing his own personal issues.
- Response to Feedback: A good therapist gives straightforward answers to direct questions, welcomes client feedback and takes complaints seriously.
- Accurate Assessment: A good clinician should be able to give you an initial assessment that captures your problem or dilemma, sheds some interesting light on factors that may be contributing to the problem, and suggests important steps that will likely be necessary in resolving these problems and helping you achieve your goals.
- Clarity about Goals: A good therapist will discuss the specific goals for therapy with you.
What to look for in a Therapist for your Child
Proven Treatment Strategies
- It is important that the therapist uses treatment strategies that have been shown by
mental health treatment research to be effective.
Parent Participation
- Encourages parents’ participation in the treatment process. It is prudent that parents remain an active part of the
therapeutic process for the child's sake and the parent's capability of growing with the child. Rarely, are the issues facing a child
simply the issue of that child or do the issues associated with your child only affect them as individuals.
Therefore, it is important when working with children of all ages from infants and toddlers to adolescents to youth that the parents
remain an "active" part of the process. It is vitally important that the child also feel the parent is supporting them through their actions. Actions
frequently begin for a child or an adult by seeing someone simply showing personal support, thus being or willing to be an
active and vital centerpiece in the therapeutic process.
Positive Focus Treatment
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The therapist should always be supportive, nonjudgmental and creating an environment of positive direction.
A great majority of today's life issues stem from the state of mind we have or are in. If we create an environment that
is supportive it will develop within the context of the patient's mind an ability to support themselves. It is through
self-recognition, self-actualization, and self-acceptance that an individual can be capable of honing in on
their particular struggles, thus defining their needs. Through therapy you should not only learn to gain
control over your present challenges, but learn to truly live and have a peace centered life.
Goal-Oriented Treatment
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The therapist should set clear treatment goals, expectations, and provide a clear direction and an expected time-line for reaching those goals.
It is important that the therapist continues to evaluate treatment progress throughout treatment and discusses progress with you.
A Personal Fit
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Children are impressionable, therefore it is important that you know who you are matching your child up with.
Children may assume that "if" your therapist has an advanced degree, that they are correct in their analysis of life, issues, and a variety of topics that
could and would be discussed in the therapeutic process.
A personal fit – are you and your child comfortable working with the therapist chosen.
You must trust your intuition when choosing a therapist for your child. However, it must
be recognized that most "first-sessions" may involve lengthy paperwork and documentation, therefore, as a therapist I ask that you try
giving it two sessions before making a declaration of judgement. Nevertheless, I also want to inform you that your therapy is uniquely
and individually yours. You are the focal point and you should be "gaining" from this experience. It should be also an experience that causes growth beyond
your personal development. Go for it and see what you can achieve!!!
Advanced Education and Training
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Child therapists should have advanced training in clinical psychology or a related mental health field.
They should be governed by a regulatory body or association which provides support, critical feedback, guidance, and act as a supervisory connection for the patient and the therapist.
Advanced training in psychology consists of a doctorate in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D) and State / Provincial / Territorial licensure.
Additionally, child therapists should have advanced training in child development.
Therapy Should Leave You Feeling
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Again, trust your intuition when choosing a therapist for your child.
Upon departure of the therapist's office, you should leave the first session feeling comfortable and optimistic.
What to look for in a Couples and Family Therapist
Many people are unsure what to expect of a competent therapist. Here are some qualities and actions that researchers have found to promote effective therapy.
Do's
- The therapist is caring and compassionate to everyone involved.
- The therapist actively tries to help your marriage and family; and communicates realistic hope that you can solve your marital or family problems. This goes beyond just clarifying your problems.
- The therapist is active in structuring the session. The therapist has a plan to contain angry exchanges.
- The therapist offers reasonable and useful perspectives to help you understand the sources of your problems.
- The therapist encourages and challenges each of you to reflect on your contributions to the problems and helps you see to make individual changes that could improve your relationship and resolve the problems.
- The therapist offers specific strategies for changing your relationship, and coaches you on how to use them.
- The therapist is alert to individual matters such as depression, alcoholism, substance abuse and medical illness that might be influencing your marital problems.
- The therapist is alert to the problem of physical abuse and assesses in individual meetings whether there is danger to one of the spouses.
Don'ts
- The therapist does not take sides, judge, shame or blame.
- The therapist does not permit you and your spouse to interrupt each other, talk over each other, or speak for the other person.
- The therapist does not let you and your spouse engage in repeated angry exchanges during the session.
- Although the therapist may explore how your family-of-origin backgrounds influence your problems, the focus is on how to deal with your current marital problems rather than just on insight into how you developed these problems.
- The therapist does not assume that there are certain ways that men and women should behave according to their gender in marriage and/or a family.
Conveniences of This Office
 Our offices are wheelchair accessible.
Professionals
Please contact us if you are interested in renting professional office or group room space? (250) 392-4930 or ttr@asadonbrown.com
Adapted from William J. Doherty, Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart.
New York: Guilford Press, 2001 and Judith Anderson Ph.D
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
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