Linda Martinez-Lewi Ph.D. asked:
There are a number of personality characteristics that help a prospective client make
distinctions between good therapists and those who are unacceptable. It is essential that you research a psychotherapist’s educational and professional qualifications. Professional credentials alone will not determine if you have found a good therapist. Often, word of mouth recommendations from friends, family and acquaintances you trust is a good beginning.
A good therapist possesses empathy. This is the ability to understand the unique feelings and thinking of another individual. An empathic therapist puts himself in your place, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically.
A qualified therapist has developed the art of fine tuned listening. He is able to “take in” what the client is saying and communicates with calmness and keen awareness. He listens to every detail of his client’s story, even when it is repeated many times.
Intuition is a quality of instant knowing that travels faster than a thought or a bolt of lightening. A therapist’s intuition is invaluable. Deep intuition leads to direct truth.
A good therapist is truthful with his client and knows instinctively when and how to ask a question, make an observation or present an opinion with appropriate timing and tact.
A therapist of high quality must have a realistic sense of his own self importance and worth that is not inflated by grandiosity or feelings of superiority.
The best therapists have a nonjudgmental attitude about their clients. They treat them with respect; they are invested in caring that they improve and heal.
A good therapist understands the inner workings of the unconscious layers of the personality. It is essential that the therapist has dealt with his own core psychological issues.
Finally, an excellent therapist has a full, well developed sense of humor. Humor plays a special role in the relationship between therapist and client. Humor nurtures a sense of hope and humanness. It lightens psychological burdens. Often, the most powerful healing takes place in mutual laughter.
What to avoid:
Psychotherapists can be defective. They may have earned a number of professional degrees, become experts in a specific area of clinical psychology, or reached the Everest of psychiatry—psychoanalyst, but if they are financially greedy, psychologically disturbed themselves, or just conducting a business, the client is not benefiting and could experience further psychological damage.
Some therapists exploit clients who are psychologically desperate. I have known therapists who had clients on the string for over twenty years when their major problem was a brain chemistry issue. They were in need of the proper balance of medication combined with some therapy rather than three to five days a week of therapy for a number of years.
Some psychiatrists advocate medication exclusively and overmedicate their patients. They are uninformed or unmotivated to pay close attention to the personal intricacies of dosage and tolerance to various medications.
There are psychotherapists who have narcissistic personality disorders. They are self-absorbed, grandiose and exhibit a sense of superiority. Often these “therapists” are money and status driven, viewing themselves as the final authority. They treat their clients with disrespect and are incapable of empathy.
Choosing a good psychotherapist is a very important process. Do the research and trust your intuition.
There are a number of personality characteristics that help a prospective client make
distinctions between good therapists and those who are unacceptable. It is essential that you research a psychotherapist’s educational and professional qualifications. Professional credentials alone will not determine if you have found a good therapist. Often, word of mouth recommendations from friends, family and acquaintances you trust is a good beginning.
A good therapist possesses empathy. This is the ability to understand the unique feelings and thinking of another individual. An empathic therapist puts himself in your place, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically.
A qualified therapist has developed the art of fine tuned listening. He is able to “take in” what the client is saying and communicates with calmness and keen awareness. He listens to every detail of his client’s story, even when it is repeated many times.
Intuition is a quality of instant knowing that travels faster than a thought or a bolt of lightening. A therapist’s intuition is invaluable. Deep intuition leads to direct truth.
A good therapist is truthful with his client and knows instinctively when and how to ask a question, make an observation or present an opinion with appropriate timing and tact.
A therapist of high quality must have a realistic sense of his own self importance and worth that is not inflated by grandiosity or feelings of superiority.
The best therapists have a nonjudgmental attitude about their clients. They treat them with respect; they are invested in caring that they improve and heal.
A good therapist understands the inner workings of the unconscious layers of the personality. It is essential that the therapist has dealt with his own core psychological issues.
Finally, an excellent therapist has a full, well developed sense of humor. Humor plays a special role in the relationship between therapist and client. Humor nurtures a sense of hope and humanness. It lightens psychological burdens. Often, the most powerful healing takes place in mutual laughter.
What to avoid:
Psychotherapists can be defective. They may have earned a number of professional degrees, become experts in a specific area of clinical psychology, or reached the Everest of psychiatry—psychoanalyst, but if they are financially greedy, psychologically disturbed themselves, or just conducting a business, the client is not benefiting and could experience further psychological damage.
Some therapists exploit clients who are psychologically desperate. I have known therapists who had clients on the string for over twenty years when their major problem was a brain chemistry issue. They were in need of the proper balance of medication combined with some therapy rather than three to five days a week of therapy for a number of years.
Some psychiatrists advocate medication exclusively and overmedicate their patients. They are uninformed or unmotivated to pay close attention to the personal intricacies of dosage and tolerance to various medications.
There are psychotherapists who have narcissistic personality disorders. They are self-absorbed, grandiose and exhibit a sense of superiority. Often these “therapists” are money and status driven, viewing themselves as the final authority. They treat their clients with disrespect and are incapable of empathy.
Choosing a good psychotherapist is a very important process. Do the research and trust your intuition.
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