Sorting through the sea of highly qualified, online mental health professionals may seem overwhelming, but it is doable if you keep in mind these 3 steps:
1. Decide if online therapy is right for you by clarifying your best style of learning. Are you a visual learner? Someone who picks up information quickly by reading or seeing pictures? As a visual learner you may understand and remember things better by sight, you might doodle as your listen and picture the information your head.
Are you an auditory learner? Someone who understands and remembers things you have heard? As an auditory learner you may recall information by the way it sounds; song lyrics may be easier for you to remember simply by hearing them. You might also learn better by reading out loud because hearing spoken words gives you a clearer understanding of information.
Are you a combination of both? Nailing down your best learning style will help you decide if online therapy is the best fit for you.
2. Consider which type of therapist is the best fit for your needs. Different types of mental health professionals might emphasize different practices and recommend different treatments. For example, a psychiatrist may offer talk therapy but their primary role is medication management. A whole person-centered talk-therapist may focus on allowing you to be the expert on your experience and guide you through your journey to emotional growth & healing with reflective listening and non-judgmental positive regard, while a solution-oriented talk-therapist may focus more-so on developing goals and the strategy of resolving current concerns through behavior change methods. Identifying the type of talk-therapist with a focus that best suits you will help narrow down the field of professionals you have to choose from.
3. Lastly, reach out! Contact a couple professionals and ask for a quick chat to learn more about their background and approach to therapy. Most mental health professionals are open to spending a few moments with potential clients to help them decide if they’d like to build a trusting working relationship. Therapy can make you feel vulnerable and forming a safe therapeutic bond is essential to making your journey a success.
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