Just like every other sphere of life, not everything or everyone can be equal. This also applies to therapy as you’re not assured that you will get a competent or good therapist any time you decide to engage in therapy. There are bad eggs too. That’s why it is important to pay attention to any signs that can prove that your therapist is good. Here are five of those signs.
1. They Won’t Try Becoming Friends With You
Even though you can receive advice from your friends, this sort of relationship, however, doesn’t come with the appropriate structure. You could meet up with your friends just for the camaraderie, but you should never do this with your therapist. There needs to be a purpose for every visit. In addition to this, the relationship between friends is usually on equal standing. However, your relationship between you and your therapist should never be of equal standing. Therapy is meant to serve you, not both of you. Therapists should not attempt to use therapy time or relations to serve their own needs. Skilled therapists should be friendly, but they should never be your friend.
2. They Aren’t Judgmental Towards You
Therapy isn’t necessarily about finding advice; it is more about providing healing experiences. A successful therapeutic experience doesn’t involve judgment. This is because it involves empathy, understanding, attention, encouragement, and acceptance. A good therapist listens, tries to understand your viewpoint, provides an appropriate response to it, and treats you with adequate compassion. This is because good therapists won’t allow these differences to even come to light. If it does come to light, then there’s every possibility that they’re not good therapists. To make it easier, you can find a good therapist in Pretoria or its environs whenever you need one.
3. They Make Use Of Evidence-Based Therapy
One clear sign of a good therapist is if they employ a technique that is up to date and effective. The field of psychotherapy is a clinical one, involving decades of research. With new research, these strategies and techniques are refined from time to time. That is why it is absolutely essential that your therapist keeps you abreast of these changes. In addition to this, therapy needs to be detailed (with proper record keeping). It also needs to be able to connect patterns, provide hypotheses and test these hypotheses. Good therapists are open to fresh knowledge, and they can also admit when they’ve been wrong, correcting the mistakes in the process. They will also only provide guidance that is backed by extensive research.
4. They Are Active Listeners
Anybody, including therapists, can listen, but not everyone can actively listen. Active listening involves being able to remember important names and anecdotes, which will make it easier for you in future conversations as you won’t have to provide context again. It is absolutely important that a therapist is able to do this as it also provides some comfort to the client, who will most likely be happy that their stories are been heard and remembered. Active listening also involves taking part in the conversation, so a good therapist should engage the client based on their stories. They shouldn’t just be listening; they also have to look for themes, patterns, and reason.
5. They Check Up On You Regularly
It is the job of your therapist to make sure that your treatment is making headway. A good therapist will keep the communication line open and conduct regular checks regarding your progress, which serves to confirm if you’re still satisfied with the process being used. A good therapist will also use this opportunity to know if the earlier agreed time for sessions still works within your schedule.
