Finding the right therapist and getting started
Starting therapy for the first time can be daunting and it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some things to consider:
1) Do I need to see a therapist?
Knowing when to get professional help can be difficult and it's common to not see the signs until your mental health has deteriorated to unmanageable levels. A common metric for when to seek help is when your mental health concerns are affecting your functioning. For example, has your appetite, sleep, concentration, motivation, mood, or thinking changed? Is it affecting your daily activities, your relationships, or your work?
Advice: Take an inventory of what your life was like when things were better, or if things have been rough for a while, whether there's a difference between where you are now and where you want to be. Therapy can help you get back on track.
2) Finding the right therapist
Finding a therapist can be more difficult than, say, finding a dentist because therapy is based on your relationship with your therapist rather than just their skill. It's important to find a therapist who you feel comfortable speaking with and who you trust. Without a strong therapeutic relationship, it can be difficult to make progress in therapy.
Advice: Speak with a potential therapist to get a sense of your fit with them. Therapists have different styles, preferred types of treatment, and personalities.
3) What's the difference between a psychologist, counsellor, and psychiatrist?
All three professions help people with their mental health. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat mental health conditions with a combination of medication and therapy. Psychologists generally have doctoral degrees in psychology and provide therapy and psychological assessments. Their training is most often based on a "scientist-practitioner" model which provides a foundation for providing treatment based on empirical research. Psychologists also have training in administering and interpreting psychological testing, such as intelligence tests (IQ tests), and tests that measure personality and psychopathology. Counsellors generally have masters degrees and provide counselling. Psychologists and psychiatrists are legally authorized to provide mental health diagnoses, however, counsellors cannot provide a diagnosis. Only psychologists and psychiatrists who are registered with their respective regulatory College can use these titles; anyone can call themselves a counsellor.
To see a psychiatrist, you will need a referral from a physician, and their services are covered by MSP. You do not need a referral to see a psychologist or counsellor, but MSP does not cover psychologists or counsellors and you will need to pay privately or use your healthcare insurance/benefits. Check your insurance to find out what is covered and the amount of coverage. If you have limited resources, speak with your psychologist/counsellor because there can still be some benefit of a few sessions and your therapist may be able to direct you to other free or low-cost services. Some may even be able to charge you a reduced rate based on a sliding-scale.
Advice: Consider your needs for seeing a mental health therapist, and find a therapist who you feel like you can trust and work collaboratively with.
4) What to expect at the beginning of therapy?
It's important for your therapist to gather some background information to better understand the reasons why you're seeking therapy, to find out what you've tried in the past that's worked or not worked, and to tailor the treatment plan to you and your goals. This is called the intake stage and forms the basis for the treatment plan. The next step is to develop a treatment plan and to make sure that you and your therapist are on the same page with this plan. Once therapy starts, it's important for you and your therapist to check in with each other to track progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan.
5) Will I be in therapy forever?
No. The purpose of therapy is to work towards achieving treatment goals, not endless talking without benefit to you. We use measurable goals to ensure you’re progressing and we make adjustments to the treatment plan and approach as necessary. If progress has reached a plateau, we will try something different, refer you to someone else with a different approach, or take a break. Change is hard, and sometimes the pace needs to be considered. Some people prefer to work through an issue, take a break, and come back months or years later to work on another issue.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that you can return to seeing your therapist in the future because they already know you and your history, rather than starting fresh with someone new.
