How to Find a Therapist (or a date) in Ocean City, Voorhees, Cape May, New Jersey and surrounding areas
What is easier dating or finding a therapist, health care provider in New Jersey?
Let’s dive into How to Find a Therapist in Ocean City, Voorhees, Cape May, New Jersey and surrounding areas? My best way to explain is to relate it to dating.
So if you haven’t been in the dating loop for a while it goes something like this…You ask to be set up, you start swiping (left or right) on Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match and other dating sites, you have an initial chat and then meet up. I guess you could go on a blind date but in therapy I wouldn’t recommend that.
Just like finding your “perfect” person to build a romantic relationship with. Finding the “perfect” therapist has its challenges. I struggle to write this one for you guys because I wish there was a simple answer or a simple equation to finding a therapist.
Although I don’t know the solution to making it easier / faster to find a therapist that will be the BEST match for you, what I can tell you is to be patient with the process. There is no speed dating for therapy or at least not yet! Hahaha Finding the right fit will be more beneficial in the long run then rushing into a therapeutic relationship with just anyone.
It might seem daunting and it might seem frustrating at times but find the patience; the right therapist is out there for you! I encourage you to take the time to find a therapist in New Jersey that aligns with who you are and what you need so you don’t waste time and get discouraged during the therapeutic process.
Let’s think of therapy like dating (but reminder you can not date your therapist).
There is a huge pool of therapists. Different backgrounds. Different education and licenses. Different styles and interventions.
Having standards is important. Knowing what YOU want helps narrow down the “dating” pool.
Take some time to watch the video as I go into more detail and read on for more explanation.
Therapy, doctor, healthcare in Cape May, Mantoloking, Voorhees, NJ
So What do YOU want in a therapist in New Jersey? Here are some questions to ask yourself.
What do you want to get out of therapy? Do you have a vision for what life after therapy would look like? What challenges, feelings and emotions are you currently experiencing? Many times this is hard to visualize or to put into words. That is OKAY! And normal. Your therapist will help guide you to these answers. Therapy helps us put words to our experiences and make sense of it. Have a few words to describe this but it does not need to be lengthy or clearly flushed out.
Short term or long term therapy. Are you looking for a “casual” therapist who is there for the short term to guide you through an immediate challenge / issue. Short term therapy focuses on the here and now challenge, not the root cause. Helps you find some awareness without diving deeper or creating systemic change. Or are you looking for a therapist you can dive in deep with. Long term therapy moves you past the initial phase of self awareness and an immediate challenge to guiding you deeper so you can create long and lasting change. Long term therapy will spend time on diving into who you really are and who you want to become; guiding you along as you create the life of your dreams and fulfillment may it be social, emotional, career or relational health.
LPC. LCSW. PsyD. PHD. What!?! What are all these initials and what do they mean? Let's sort through this quickly. One of the biggest confusions is the difference between a psychiatrist, psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Psychiatrists are those you would see for medication evaluations and medication management. Depending on their background, course of study, niche and scope of their individual practice Psychologists (PhD or PsyD) and LPCs can provide you with clinical evaluation and biopsychosocial evaluations. They also provide individual, family and couples counseling. Not all will so it is important to ask based on your needs. LCSW’s also provide individual, family and couples counseling. The main difference between LPCs and LCSWs is that of the foundation of their education. LPCs courses that focus on counseling theory, psychology, counseling techniques for different populations, individual and group therapy, and conducting appraisals while LCSWs course work has more focus on social welfare, social behavior, and social systems. If you still aren’t sure which designation, then attend a few consultations based on your other requirements, ask questions of that person to see if it feels like a good fit.
Personality fit. This person isn’t meant to be your BFF but they are there to help you reflect and to challenge your thoughts and behavior patterns so it is important for you to feel comfortable and trust them. The best predictor for successful therapy is the therapeutic relationship (alliance) and rapport. Do you trust and feel a positive connection to this person? Do they make you feel heard and not judged?
Is this therapist authentic? Sometimes the best way to view this is by reading their website or profiles. Let your intuition guide you. Have the consult and ask questions that are important to you.
These are just a few of the factors to guide you. You may have other priorities or criteria. Remember the session is about you but you can ask your therapist questions to gage if it is a good fit. Same goes for meeting with doctors and other health care providers in New Jersey.
Have more questions about how to find a good fit or are ready to up your free 15-minute consultation. Head HERE to connect.
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