What to Look for in a Bay Area Therapist

Choosing the right Bay Area therapist is more than just pulling up some profiles online and picking from the local options. After all, it's important that you're comfortable in your sessions, that you're committed to the process and that you're open and willing to work with your therapist. Therapy often involves discussing sensitive issues, and possibly even things that you've never told anyone else before, so your comfort level can play a big role in the success of your therapy sessions.
Not only do you need to find a therapist that you can share your thoughts and feelings with, but you'll also need to find someone that you'll listen to, as well. And with so much at stake, that search for the perfect Bay Area therapist can seem overwhelming. It's hard to make a decision based on a picture and a short bio, and with countless options online, that search could take forever. But the good news is that you don't have to find the perfect therapist -- just one that resonates with you.

Finding a Bay Area Therapist
Whether it's been suggested that you see a therapist or you've identified some issues that you want to work on, finding a therapist can be a challenging endeavor. Some people may click immediately with their new therapist while others may take some time to warm up to the process. Then there are the recommendations that you may receive from family or friends -- however, your issues are unique and whether or not someone had success with a given Bay Area therapist says little about whether your experience would be the same.
Regardless of how great a therapist is and what they've done for others, you'll still have to click with your therapist. The connection between you and your therapist is important, and the more comfortable you feel discussing and listening, the more you'll get out of your therapy sessions. Indeed, the stronger the relationship between you and your therapist, the better it is for everyone involved.

The Power of Goal Alignment
Beyond the connection to your therapist, you'll also want to ensure that you and your therapist are aligned on goals and methodologies. If you're expecting to have a few sessions and then move on with your life, that won't work if your therapist wants you to come in three times a week for years. You may go with it at first, but in the long run your suspicions about the approach can sour the process, even if it may eventually end up being helpful.
Generally, both the therapist and patient need to respect and like each other. You'll be spending quite a bit of time together discussing your life, emotions and relationships, and that's infinitely more difficult when one or both sides isn't invested in treatment. 
In fact, the American Psychological Association found that the success of therapy is based more on the therapeutic relationship than the type of therapy practiced, which means the who matters a lot more than the what, though we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that it all matters to some degree. Ideally, it's the therapist's job to monitor interactions and to determine whether things are going well, though patients should feel free to voice their concerns at any time.

What's Important to You?
If certain factors are important -- such as gender, age, race or religion -- you'll want to incorporate that into your search for a Bay Area therapist. If you would feel uncomfortable with a therapist from the opposite sex, or someone that is significantly younger or older than you, it's important to acknowledge that in your search. Some patients may even try to envision the type of person that they would want to talk to, using that to guide their search.
But if you don't have a preference, that's fine, too. Many therapists will provide a complimentary discovery call to see if there's a good fit. In it, you're free to ask any questions about approach or background -- whatever helps you make a decision. There's usually some kind of questionnaire where you can indicate what's important to you, or you can bring it up during that call.
If the therapist that you were assigned to ends up not working out -- don't fret! You can often get a quick referral to one of their colleagues, or you're free to start your search again if you'd like to go in a different direction.

The Importance of Credentials
Finding a Bay Area therapist can be confusing if you're not up to date on what those letters and acronyms mean after each name. You don't need to be an expert on the different mental health accreditations, but knowing what each one stands for can help you during your search. Here are some common credentials that you may come across:

• LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
  
• LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  
• LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  
• LCDC - Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor
  
• NCC - National Certified Counselor
  
• LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor
  
• PsyD - Doctor of Psychology
  
• MD - Doctor of Medicine
  

While the exact licensure may not be that relevant to your need, the important thing is that your therapist is a licensed mental health professional that follows certain guidelines and adheres to a certain code of ethics. Keep in mind that therapy is not life coaching, and unlike life coaches, who may have no training, specialized education or oversight, licensed therapists are actually trained to help you.
In addition to a licensing test, a therapist must also pass a background test, meet certain obligations and keep up with their continuing education. But the real value to you as a patient is their area of expertise. Their bio should give you insight into the kinds of issues and approaches they work with, though it can be a good idea to follow up once you have them on the phone.
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The Quick Results Counseling Way
Here at Quick Results Counseling, we believe that everyone deserves compassion and empathy in mental health treatment. Whether you've avoided therapy because of difficulty in finding the right Bay Area therapist or you're worried that cultural, racial, ethnic, religious or sexual diversity may make it hard to get the help you need, we're here for you. We believe that effective therapy is about getting to the root of the matter -- not checking in endlessly about the minutia of the previous week. See how our Bay Area therapists can help you by scheduling a free 30 minutes phone consultation.