“The benefits of therapy extend far beyond periods of crisis,” says Ryan Howes, Ph.D., a California-based psychologist and writer.
Finding yourself in the office of a therapist can be terrifying at first. You will feel like there is something clearly wrong in your life. There is also a high chance or likelihood that you would feel ashamed of the reality that you are in a face to face interaction with a professional. Do not worry because you are not the only one who is going through this confusing and challenging process. It will be easy on your part to doubt yourself, but you have to believe that everything is only temporary. You need to convince yourself that cooperation with your chosen therapist is crucial if you want to improve your life.
In this article, we are going to list down the top three questions to ask your therapist to make the situation better. Knowing the proper inquiries to ask will be helpful in improving your self-confidence while talking to a counselor. At the same time, it may also result in the formation of efficient and effective communication between you and the professional mental health expert.
Be ready to ask these questions:
How Often Do We Need To See Each Other?
Take note that the number of sessions required will be different for every client. It is dependent on a lot of factors, which is why you need to ask your therapist about the regular meetings. It is essential to know the number of times that you need to visit the counselor at his office. Remember that you are not the one and the only patient who will be taking the time of the therapist. As such, you have to book this professional as early as possible. This way, you can get a guarantee that you have a spot in his calendar, making it easy for both of you to meet regularly. The sessions can be scheduled weekly or monthly, depending on the attendant circumstances in your case.
What Are The Payment Options?
Whether you like it or not, it is essential to ask the therapist about the available payment options for a client like you. Take note that therapy sessions can be expensive on your part. In fact, you may need to save for it so that you can take all the meetings with the professional. Fortunately, many therapists have understood this primary concern from their patients. For this reason, most of them have devised a way wherein the clients can have several options on how to make the payments. However, if you have enough cash flow to pay for the services of a counselor upfront, then the right thing to do is to settle the professional fees before deciding the session. This way, you can save yourself from the hassle of thinking about debts or liabilities.
Can I Trust You?
Everyone knows that a privileged communication rule protects the conversations between therapists and clients. This means that the former cannot reveal any information acquired from the client during the sessions. This is to ensure that the clients will feel comfortable in opening up to the counselors. Keep in mind that trust is a significant element of a productive relationship with a therapist. Nonetheless, you must still ask the professional if he can be trusted. The truth is that it would feel different to hear him say that he is a trustworthy individual who will promote your interests.
Psychologist Leslie Becker-Phelps, Ph.D. says that those in therapy “often come around to supporting treatment once they see that it makes a person happier.”
Talking to a therapist or counselor can lead to several awkward moments. Break the ice by using the list above for your questions. You can also use this article as a reference: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/what-is-the-difference-between-a-therapist-and-a-psychologist/.
Psychologist Leslie Sokol, Ph.D. explains that some people have a good life, but they are worried. “All that fretting takes you out of the present and prevents you from enjoying what you have. Often if you put away all that meta-analysis, you actually are in the right situation.” Therapy can also assist them with that issue.
When you have prepared your questions and feel that you are ready to talk to a therapist but you don’t have time to see one face to face, you can try reaching out to BetterHelp, where credible counselors are ready and capable of having simple or complex conversations about your mental health, anywhere and anytime. Learn more about it by reading client reviews and more. Take that first step and sign up today!