Dr. Kimberley Taylor's video: HOW TO CHOOSE A THERAPIST

WELCOME TO OUR THURSDAY AFTERNOON PROGRAM. I’M SO GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU ONCE AGAIN ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY IN SANTA BARBARA. I’M HOPING THAT AT THIS POINT FROM LISTENING TO MY PROGRAM EVERY WEEK, THAT YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ASKING QUESTIONS AND THAT YOU FIND THIS A PLACE THAT YOU CAN TUNE INTO EACH WEEK AND LEARN ABOUT ISSUES THAT FACE ALL OF US AT VARIOUS POINTS IN OUR LIVES. WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILIES, PARENTING ISSUES, ADDICTIONS, OR JUST DISCOVERING THE OBSTACLES THAT KEEP GETTING IN YOUR WAY, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT EVER IS ON YOUR MIND AND HOW TO CREATE THE KIND OF LIFE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN ORDER TO FEEL HAPPY AND FULFILLED. BUT AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE, YOU MAY ALSO FEEL THE NEED TO GO TO THERAPY. MAYBE YOU’RE FEELING OVERWHELMED BY YOUR PROBLEMS AND NOTHING YOU’VE DONE SEEMS TO BE HELPING. MAYBE YOUR ACTIONS ARE STARTING TO JEOPARDIZE YOUR SUCCESS OR, PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED AND SAID SOMETHING TO YOU. WHATEVER IT IS, DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS, AND THOSE OF YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, YOU ARE NOT GETTING BETTER. I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT I DO THINK SOME OF THE HEALTHIEST PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO COME INTO THERAPY BECAUSE A PART OF THEM KNOWS THAT THEY ARE STRUGGLING AND COULD BE SO MUCH BETTER WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HELP. AND A GOOD THERAPIST CAN HELP YOU UNTANGLE YOUR CONFUSED FEELINGS, THEY CAN HELP YOU SEE THE OBSTACLES THAT GET IN YOUR WAY AND THE PATTERNS YOU ARE RECREATING BECAUSE OF IT. THERAPY CAN HELP YOU TO BE LESS AFRAID OF REJECTION AND MORE WILLING TO TAKE RISKS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. AND I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE OF EVERYONE IN THIS MODERN WORLD WITHOUT GUILT OR SHAME BECAUSE DONE WELL, THERAPY HELPS PROMOTE SELF-GROWTH, IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND REDUCE EMOTIONAL SUFFERING. BUT WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE TO ENTER INTO THERAPY, IT TAKES COURAGE TO ATTEND THERAPY, AND IT TAKES DEDICATION TO SEE IT THROUGH. NOW THE MAIN QUESTIONS I ALWAYS HEAR IS, HOW DO I FIND A THERAPIST AND WHAT KIND OF THERAPIST SHOULD I GO TO. WHAT KIND OF QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD I LOOK FOR? IT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND MARRIAGE FAMILY THERAPISTS, OR SOCIAL WORKERS AND LIFE COACHES. WITH THIS IN MIND I HAVE TWO GUESTS JOINING ME TODAY TO SHARE IN THE CONVERSATION AND TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE EXPERTS AND HOW YOU CAN CHOOSE WHO IS RIGHT FOR YOU. MY FIRST GUEST AND COLLEAGUE IS PSYCHOLOGIST GIL REYES, HE IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, AND PSYCHOLOGIST LAUREN GUY, WHO IS THE PAST-PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS EMAIL ME AT DRKIM@DRKIMTAYLORSHOW.COM THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT WHEN WORKING WITH A THERAPIST: - IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR THERAPIST HAS A MASTERS OR DOCTORATE DEGREE IN A MENTAL HEALTH FIELD (MA, MS, MFT, PHD, PSYD, EDD, OR MD). - THAT THEY HAVE HAD SUPERVISED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY. THIS IS WHERE THEY REALLY LEARN THEIR TRADE. - THEY NEED TO HAVE A CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION OR LICENSURE WITH AN AUTHORITY TO WHICH THEY WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE. (I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TO THERAPY THEMSELVES). MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ALL THREE OF THESE QUALIFICATIONS AND THEN THE VERY BEST WAY TO EVALUATE A THERAPIST IS TRUST YOUR GUT. SET UP AN APPOINTMENT AND GO IN AND MEET THEM. YOU WILL KNOW WITHIN THE FIRST SESSION. THE THERAPIST NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND HONEST WITH YOU, AND YOU NEED TO FEEL YOU CAN BE HONEST WITH THEM. THEY ARE NOT THERE TO BE YOUR FRIEND BUT NEITHER ARE THEY THERE TO JUDGE YOU, THEY ARE THERE TO BE PRESENT AND HELP YOU DEAL WITH YOUR PAIN SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR LIFE IN A HEALTHIER WAY. WHEN THERAPY IS WORKING YOU WILL KNOW IT, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT AND ON DAYS IT WILL LEAVE YOU EMOTIONAL DRAINED, BUT IT IS THE IN PROCESS OF TALKING THROUGH YOUR ISSUES AND BEING PUSHED TO THINK ABOUT THINGS IN A NEW WAY, IT WILL HELP YOU TO MOVE FORWARD IN A MORE POSITIVE WAY IN YOUR LIFE. AND OF COURSE, I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU SO SEND YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO ME AT DRKIM@DRKIMTAYLORSHOW.COM. I’M DR. KIM TAYLOR, UNTIL THEN REMEMBER, NOBODY ELSE HAS TO CHANGE IN ORDER FOR YOU TO FEEL BETTER. STOP WAITING FOR OTHERS; BE WILLING TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY BEING THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO CREATE TODAY. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.