Choosing to consult a psychologist about your your problems is not always an easy task. And most people would rather keep their problems to themselves hoping that things would get better with time. But in most instances, this is usually a wrong move. It is great to look for a good psychologist who will care for and tend to you and see to it that your problems go away. The issue now comes in as to how to find a good psychologist. So, how do you find a good psychologist? If you do your research right, you find that not all therapists practice integral psychology. This is a broad subject and requires you to be specific about what exactly you are looking for. This article aims to provide you with some crucial insights on how you can find the best psychologist to help you with your psychological problems. So, go nowhere.
(1) Locating psychologists
The first problem you need to solve is how to find a psychologist. There are several methods you can use to find psychologists who you can verify and choose from.
Research – you can start by doing some online research for a list of all the psychologists in your area. In most instances, you will be lucky to find one or two qualified psychologists who can handle your case.
Get a recommendation – you can also ask your friends and family members who have seen psychologists before if they know any good psychologists you can try. The chances are high you will get a recommendation or two.
Contact your nearby mental health associations – you can also look up psychological associations near your area or state. If you find one, you can request for their list of psychologists which you can choose from.
(2) The right expertise
Now that you have a long list of psychologists to choose from, you can now vet them and choose the best one that fits your criteria. And the first step is to check the level of expertise of the selected psychologists. You want to look for someone who has had a lot of experience working with other clients and helped them get over their psychological issues. Most of your candidates, especially the experienced ones, will have their own websites where they list their levels of experience and certificates.
Some people prefer consulting psychologists who are in their age groups. Other psychologies specialize in treating families or the elderly. Overall, if you want to find the right psychologists, then it is best to contact them personally or have a look at their websites.
(3) Their credentials
All professional workers, psychologists included, must have certified documents and credentials that legitimize them for handling your case. From college, psychologists usually spend up to seven years in graduate education research and training before they can receive a doctorate degree. It is crucial that you look into these aspects of credentials and documentation of your potential candidates before making your choice. All qualified psychologists must have a license by their countries or states to practice psychology. These licensure laws are put in place to protect the public from unknowingly hiring unqualified practitioners who may end up making their situations worse. So, certification works to limit licensure to few persons who are qualified to practice the profession.
(4) Consider cost
You also want to check the charges and rates of your remaining list of psychologists. Different psychologists charge variable rates. It is, therefore, critical that you look for a psychologist with affordable rates. One who you can work with for as long as you feel the need to. Some health insurance covers also cover pars of the costs of care while others do not cover mental health issues at all. For such instances, you may pay up to $250 for a single session. It is, therefore, necessary that you do not give up just because you find the initial costs seem high.
(5) Set up trial meetings
Your next stage should be setting up trial meeting with each of the remaining psychologists in your list. Make appointments and organize with the psychologists you have shortlisted and who you think could be a good match. It is better to interview each of the psychologists one at a time. This is the best way you will recognize their strengths and weaknesses and determine which one of them is the best for your case. Take notes after meeting each of the psychologists. You can then use this note to keep your options straight and unbiased.
(6) Check in and assess how you feel
After carefully assessing all the psychologists in your list, you can now assess how you feel after meeting each one for the first time. This should be your final criteria of choice. When checking in with the psychologists, you do not have to feel ‘cured’ or better after meeting them for the first time. You only need to see how comfortable you feel when and after speaking to each one. You can then make an unbiased choice of the best psychologist who you want to handle your case.
Nothing feels better than the feeling of relief and hope after talking to the right psychologists. These feelings may take many meetings before they manifest themselves. But the end game is what counts and you want to feel cured or at least better than how you felt when you first started the sessions.
Final thoughts
Finding the perfect psychologist who addresses all your psychological issues is a difficult process. But it can also be just as easy provided you know all the right buttons to push and where to look. The points mentioned above are the best to consider if you want to stand any chance of finding a good psychologist. To get the best out of your psychologist, you need to find one who feels like the perfect match and who you can easily relate to and feel comfortable around. Other than that, we wish you all the best even as you search for the best psychologist to help you.
