HOW YOU PREPARE?

A good therapist can be located through a number of methods. You can acquire a referral from your primary care physician or other professional you already work with and trust. You can also obtain a recommendation from a friend or family member. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to therapy, you must put your mental health in the right person’s hands. No matter the method you use to select a therapist, you want to consider the following before you schedule a session:

• What are your goals for therapy? What is the outcome you would like to see? Communicate this to your therapist.
• How will you know that you are making progress (in and outside of your sessions)? These type of check-ins will help you stay motivated so you do not get frustrated because you start at zero but want to be at ten immediately.
• Have you experienced any major life changes? What were the changes?
• What feelings are you experiencing? Anger, depressed, anxious, distant, overwhelmed, at an impasse?
• What have you attempted in the past to feel better? Consider a social event with friends or family, exercise as a stress reliever, candidly express your feelings/fears, meditate, pray, etc.