Questions to ask a counselor, therapist or psychologist if you are considering individual or couples counseling in Salt Lake City, Utah

So you’ve decided you want individual or couples counseling. Congratulations. One of the biggest hurdles is out of the way. And what can seem impossible can be how to find the right therapist. This is your life you are talking about—or your relationship, or your marriage. And having a good outcome is critical to you. You don’t want to meet with just anyone. But someone who you can trust, and feel confident and safe that you will be able to heard and seen for who you are, to not be blamed for the problems in your life, or in your relationship. To be understood where you’re coming from and to be pointed in a good direction.

The following are tips for when you talk to your potential therapist or counselor for finding out how they work:

First, the most important think is just to talk to them. This will give you a feeling of whether you want to work with them. More than anything you’ll ask, you will be able to feel what it feels like when you talk to that person. Just talking to them period will help you to make a decision if this is the right provider for you or not.

Next, tell them what you want from counseling and ask them if they specialize in what you want. Ask them what their specializations are, what they’re good at. This key information will be invaluable to helping you understand how this person may be able to help you.

Let them know what your concerns are and ask them what they think about those. You may have concerns about working with a man or a women. Or about someone who is a member of your faith, or maybe you have concerns about the person being a person of faith. Spirituality might be really important to you, AND you may want someone who doesn’t push any religious values on you at the same time. These are kinds of things that you can address.

So, that’s it. Just talk to them. Ask if them if they work with people like you, and ask them about any concerns you have. You may also have been in therapy before, or already have an idea of what you want, and that can inform what you ask about.

I hope these tips have been helpful in taking the next steps toward seeking a professional therapist, counselor or psychologist. If not, please feel free to contact me to help you further. As well, if you are interested in working with me for your individual therapy or couples counseling, you can read more about how I work here.