Mental Health Treatment - Choosing a Psychotherapist

Author:

Veterans Administration Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center

Medically Reviewed On: June 28, 2001

All of us experience painful feelings at one time or another. Sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, and distress are examples of natural feelings that arise in the course of living. It is normal, for instance, to feel grief when a parent dies. Most students feel anxious before taking exams. In some cases, however, these feelings can begin to overwhelm you, making it hard for you to function normally on a day-to-day basis. If you are crying more than usual, having trouble sleeping or eating, if you are drinking or using drugs excessively, fighting a lot with your spouse or children, having trouble controlling your temper or getting along with other people, then you should seriously consider seeing a therapist.

It can be valuable to see a therapist if you are having more chronic problems too. While most people experience intense emotional reactions during times of particular stress, others find that they have ongoing problems adjusting to life, even when they are not in periods of extreme tension. They may have patterns of bad relationships, trouble holding onto jobs, and habitual difficulty getting along with others. Psychotherapy can be helpful for people with problems like these.

There are also specific warning signs that should alert you to the need for professional attention. If you are hearing disturbing voices of people who aren't present, seeing things that aren't there, feeling terrorized because you believe people are plotting against you, having periods of extreme highs and lows, then evaluation and intervention by a mental health professional would be helpful. In these cases, medication is likely to be an important part of the treatment in addition to psychotherapy.

What is psychotherapy?
The most common type, individual psychotherapy, consists of a single client meeting with a single therapist. Couples, family, and group therapies are also practiced. The term psychotherapist can refer to professionals from several different disciplines: psychiatrists, psychologists, or social workers. They all have training that allows them to help people work on and resolve emotional problems, primarily through talking about them.

What qualities should I look for in a psychotherapist?
Once you have decided that you would like to begin psychotherapy, you should consult with a few different therapists before selecting one. You will find that therapists vary a great deal in their approaches to problems and in their personal styles.