But wait! How do I find a therapist?

I just got off the phone with someone who called to work with me. They were referred by their partners yoga instructor, which honestly made me feel really great that somehow I've cracked into the yoga referral circuit.

In our conversation, we discussed how to know if a therapist is right for you. This particular potential client was really insightful and knew what kind of work they wanted to do, which really helped me.

Earlier today in the class that I teach at Utah Valley University where I train therapists, one of my students mentioned that typically clients either vibe with a therapist based on process or based on personality.

I recommend in order to save time and money to definitely have a quick phone call with a potential therapist or at least with their office to talk through this. There's a good chance that however, that person is with you on the phone is going to indicate how they will be in therapy. If they are warm, precise, effective, patient, etc., they'll probably be that way in session.

Therapists know that this is the first interaction with a potential client so they're probably going to give you their best in that conversation. And the research shows that the therapeutic outcomes are correlated to how clients feel about their therapist. In that conversation, did you feel heard did you feel seen? Did you feel safe? Of course, it's hard to really gauge a lot of this in a quick conversation, but you can trust your own intuition.

So many people focus primarily on the type or modality of therapy, but I have found that finding the right fit is going to typically be more effective for the therapeutic outcomes and, frankly, enjoy ability in the therapeutic process.

Therapy doesn't have to suck all the time. Of course it's hard to face things and it can be painful to re-process trauma or face, grief, etc. However, a great therapist will be one with which you do laugh at times, and you are able to feel comfortable and feel like yourself.

Yes, it's healthcare. But it's also a human relationship. And therapy is not just a science. It's also an art. So it kind of comes down to this question: do you like the art that this person is making?