Finding the right psychologist can be a daunting prospect! How does one go about making such a decision?
Research on psychotherapy outcome has consistently found that the quality of the relationship between the psychologist and their client is the single most important factor predicting whether or not therapy is successful.
It is therefore essential that you choose a psychologist with whom you can relate.
Another factor to consider is the psychotherapeutic approach of a psychologist. Is he/she a psychoanalyst, cognitive-behavioural therapist, solutions-focused, emotion-focused, or eclectic? (There are over 500 approaches to psychotherapy being practised in the world today!)
It is important to ask a prospective psychologist whether they favour an interactive appoach (where they are very involved in the sessions) or a more “removed” style and whether they specialise in short versus longer term therapy.
You could also ask your intended psychologist about their particular registration as this will determine their scope of practice (the main categories of psychologists in South Africa include clinical, counselling, educational and industrial psychology, and new categories are forensic and neuropsychology) and their areas of specialization.
It is a good idea to ask a propective psychologist whether you could meet with them beforehand for a short 10 minute free introductory session to find out whether or not their is a mutual feeling that you could work together constructively.
One reply on “How do you go about choosing a psychologist who is right for you?”
fate kinda chose my psychologist 🙂
was in a really bad place and knew i had to do something about it!
called all psychologists in the yellow pages and only one accepted my call. a soothing voice (doctor gillespie) told me to come over immediately – as if my tone conveyed my urgency! for compassionate reasons he refered me to doctor bok – and i continue to impower myself by their guidance and support!