How to Change Therapists

When you go through a crisis or difficult time, you might need some outside help to cope and resolve your struggles. People look to therapists to help them with addictions, grief, marital struggles and other personal issues. But a variety of circumstances might make working with your therapist challenging. In order to progress, you need to be comfortable with him. While your counselor is not your friend, you should be able to trust him completely. If your situation is not improving, you need to think about changing therapists. Here are a few basic steps to follow if you decide to do so.

Instructions

• 1

  Talk to your therapist first. This is a matter of both common and professional courtesy. Try to resolve the issues, especially if you have been working with the counselor for a couple of months or longer and the problem is fairly recent. Assess what is causing the blockage in your treatment. It's better to try to work things out with your present therapist as opposed to starting again from ground zero with a new counselor. The only exception to this is if your counselor commits a flagrant moral or ethical violation, including any confidentiality violations. If she attempts any sexual advances, leave and do not return her calls. You may choose to report her to the board which holds her certification and file a complaint.

• 2

  Make a choice. Remember that the choice is yours if you decide to change therapists. You do not need to continue treatment if it isn't what you want. Your therapist will honor your decision after he asks a few questions so he can close out your file. An unprofessional therapist will try to talk you out of quitting. Just tell him "no" and leave anyway.

• 3

  Choose a new therapist. You may decide to do this before you ever discuss leaving your former counselor. Psychiatrist Dr. John Grohol, CEO and founder of Psych Central, recommends that you find someone who has been in the field for at least 10 years. More experience yields better counseling outcomes for clients. Ask the therapist if he has worked with your particular issue and what his experience is with that. Interview him to see if he meets your qualifications for the job.

• 4

  Set an appointment with the new therapist. Her office should take care of transferring all paperwork from the previous office.