CHOOSING A THERAPIST
Finding that trusted someone can be a daunting process. It is not one size fits all. Some factors are personality, specialization, and time. Building trust with a total stranger takes time and a lot of other needed ingredients to assist in this process. This is especially an obstacle when therapists are working with teens.
Parents often bring their teens to my clinic because they (the parent) likes the therapist or counselor. This does not mean that their teen will. Some of us are very outgoing and goal-driven. This works for some but not for others. Some clients just like to talk and are not focused on a goal. So when we are working with teens, therapists at our clinic make sure the teen wants our services. Change is fickle and it needs a trusted relationship to grow.
WHAT DOES THERAPY / COUNSELING DO?
Just talking to someone can be helpful for the worried well but for more severe symptoms skills must be practiced between sessions for change to occur. Therapists in my office always check to see what are the barriers to practicing the skills. As a result, our clients along with our therapists can change course or work on smaller goals so that the barriers can be overcome.
Most people in therapy have barriers that they cannot overcome on their own. These barriers have been in place for a long time and typically are
trying to protect them, however inconvenient they may be. Therapists in my office address these barriers with compassion.
Avoidance just creates more hurdles.