When it comes to your therapeutic relationship with your therapist, feeling safe, comfortable, heard, and understood are the foundation for creating that secure relationship. The bond that you make with your clinician will allow you to fully express your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. I know that for many individuals, a fear of judgement is what can often stand in the way of reaching out to a professional for support so knowing and feeling like you will not be judged is so important.
The question becomes, how do I know my clinician is the right fit for me?
When determining if your clinician is the right fit for you there are a few important factors you may want to consider, and that we consider during our intakes!
Their education and licensing: Each of our clinicians are licensed by their corresponding colleges and have completed all the necessary schooling and hours to provide you with the best care possible. That being said, depending on the insurance provider they may only cover you for a specific type of clinician. The best thing to do is to contact your provider to get all the necessary information. When trying to your best fit clinician, we try to consider your insurance coverage so you are not paying too much out of pocket.
What you are navigating through: At Anchoridge Counselling we have a wide variety of clinicians who all bring forward many different skills and experiences. When working with a clinician, it is important to ensure their goals/experiences match up with your own personal goals and experiences.
Your individual personalities: If you are someone who is very outgoing and social we want to make sure your clinician is someone who compliments that part of you, and vice versa! On the other end of the spectrum, if you are more introverted, goal oriented, loud, or even quiet we want your clinician to respect your boundaries and mirror your personality. This allows you to be more comfortable with your clinician by knowing they understand you and your mannerisms.
Scheduling: You may have found the most perfect clinician but when you try to book in with them, your schedules never match up. That just means they may be a perfect clinician, but they are not the perfect clinician for you. Rather than trying to work around a clinicians schedule, you should try to find a clinician that fits into your schedule!
Most importantly trust your gut: You may have been growing on our website or psychology today and found a profile of someone you instantly feel comfortable with. Or you have read their bio and find that their words relate to you on a personal level. Whatever the situation may have been…..trust your gut. If you feel that instant connection of feeling of safety, odds are that is the right clinician for you.
What if I am not 100% sure from the start?
Let’s say you have gone ahead and booked in consultations with a few different clinicians and you are now feeling overwhelmed because you have connected to more than one, or maybe even to none. Both are perfectly okay! Sometimes it takes a little more than a short 15 minute conversation to know if that is the right clinician for you. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself when trying to decide if you had a good connection or not:
Did I feel accepted as I am?
Did I feel understood, or were they at least trying to make an effort to understand me?
Did I feel as though they cared about me and what I am navigating through?
Did I feel comfortable disclosing personal details?
Was I pretending to be someone else? Did I have to?
Did I feel heard? Was I interrupted regularly? Was I being judged?
Depending on your answers, you may have found your clinician! If the answers to these were not what you had hoped for do not be discouraged! Every client will ultimately find the right the clinician for themselves. You could have also been working with a clinician for a while but later on decide you no longer feel comfortable that is perfectly fine as well! You can always reach out to the admin at Anchoridge and they will work with and the Intake Coordinator to find a better suited clinician for you.
Just remember, you do not have to stick with the same clinician if you no longer feel as though it is a safe space for you.
Concluding Thoughts
Now with all of this new information, hopefully you are able to determine if your current clinician, or future clinician, is the right fit for you! Remember, you do not have to make this decision alone. If you feel as though you need someone else to help determine the right clinician just reach out to our admin team and get yourself booked in for a free 15 minute intake session where you can express your thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Based on what is discussed the coordinator will make a recommendation for you!
We do not want you to navigate through feelings of uncertainty or uncomfortableness alone. Your counselling journey should be one that brings a sense of calmness and your clinician should be doing the same.
Wherever or whatever your path is, we want to be the ones to support you so reach out to us to begin your healing journey.
Thanks for reading,
Dana Qablawi