What's the first step in finding a good therapist?

What's the first step in finding a good therapist?

Lynn Ianni (Psychotherapist) gives expert video advice on: How do I know if I need a therapist?; What's the first step in finding a good therapist?; What is pyschoanalysis? and more...

There are two things. One is that I think you really need to do your research. Check with people that you know who have had successful experiences with therapy. Luckily, now we have an internet that gives us much more information than we would ever have been able to have access to about a person's background, their biography, and their philosophy. Because there are so many different theories and therapies out there that you want to make sure a person has a really similar philosophy to yours about how people develop, how they change. It has to be somebody that feels like a good fit. So, on an intellectual level and also on an emotional level, you need to feel like you're home. Somebody that you can talk to, open up to, and who you feel like has the elements that you need to learn about in order for you to continue to grow.