3 Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist
Why You Should Ask a Therapist Questions
Not all therapists are the same. Therapists comes from different schools, have received different trainings, worked in different settings, etc. Many people are not aware that therapists have degrees that allow them to work in a variety of settings. For example, someone with an MSW degree (Masters in Social Work) can work in a school, a jail, hospital, non-profit, and they can also be a therapist. Many folks transition to being a therapist after spending time in another sector. This is a problem, because someone could write that they have 25 years of experience, but it is possible that 24 of those years were in a school setting where they were not doing therapy. However, consumers of therapy do not always know this. When browsing a PsychologyToday profile it is hard to tell the difference between all the therapists aside from their picture and what they write on their profile.
However, it is crucial that you gather the right information about a potential therapist so you can determine if they are a good fit for you. The problem is that most people don’t know what to ask. Below I have provided three questions you should ask a therapist as well as how to interpret their responses so that you can make an informed decision about what therapist you choose.
1: How would you describe your therapy style?
When you ask a therapist about their therapy style, you are asking them to describe their approach to therapy. This approach will have several elements. Typically a therapist is going to have a certain therapeutic orientation they resonate with (i.e. psychodynamic, behavioral, etc.) These are not made up, but rather orientations developed over time. You often learn about some of these modalities in Psych 101.
Then they will also have their own personal style of doing therapy that comes from a mixture of experience, training, and personality. For example, we describe our work at PRGRS as goal-driven. This is not a formal therapeutic orientation, but rather our practices unique style. We also use CBT, DBT and other interventions. These are formal interventions that have been studied.
As the therapist describes their style you want to see if their approach resonates with you. Does a goal driven approach sound like a good fit? What does that even mean? You can clarify. Or perhaps their style and approach is one that was recommended to you. At the end of the day this question should evoke a response that can provide you, the potential client, with a lot of helpful information about the therapist.
2: How do you stay accountable? Do you have outside supervision? What do you do when you have questions?
In our opinion accountability is important. Accountability ensures ethical and clinical standards are being met. In an agency or clinic setting, there are accountability measures put in place by default. For example, if you see a therapist at NYU, then that therapist likely has a supervisor. There is a lot of accountability.
However, in private practice, there is not always this accountability. In fact, fully licensed therapists don’t require any supervision. At times this can create a practice with limited accountability, which is not always the best situation. I think it is helpful to know how your therapist remains accountable to following clinical and ethical guidelines.
Perhaps the therapist is part of a consultation group, maybe they have a mentor, or perhaps they are part of a larger group practice where there are team meetings and supervision. At the end of the day I would want to make sure that there is some sort of accountability in place to know that the therapist is following the necessary guidelines.
3: What are some modalities you have training in (is it evidence based)? What was the training or where was it?
I think it is important know what modalities a therapist is trained in or receiving training in. You want to make sure a therapist is not merely making up interventions, but rather using evidence based approaches. Some examples are CBT and DBT. These are both evidence based approaches. It may also be helpful to ask what kind of training it was or where they received it. There is a large spectrum of trainings that a therapist can take ranging from one day intros to year long programs. There is a difference between a therapist who has done the one day intro vs the year long program so it would be helpful to know.
However, years of experience and training does not always equate to quality care. In fact, there are many young, promising therapist in the midst of training who can provide awesome care. Even more, when they are in training they require supervision and are often eager to answer questions that arise. In these cases it would be helpful to know what kind of training they are involved in and where they hope to go in the future.
Next steps…
PRGRS Therapy is a group practice, with highly qualified therapists. Contact us today to schedule a free 15 min consultation. We accept most major insurances and can help with out of network benefits. We provide all virtual care in NY and NJ.
203-364-4731
