It’s Okay To Change Your Therapist

There are times when you just do not click with a certain someone. This could happen with your therapist too and you might get a sign that it’s time to change your therapist. Sometimes when you feel like you’re treading water with your current therapist or when you feel like things are not working or when it clicks that criticism or judgement is taking over, it is indeed okay to change your therapist. “That last page turned is a perfect excuse to write a whole new book”, it is rightly said, and starting over causes no harm.

One shall really take the first step in faith. If in case you see that you are not making any progress even after a long period of time, it is recommended that you should switch to a new therapist. It is hard to quantify the therapeutic progress but there are ways to make sure that you move forward. Try to look for the red flags for example, too much or too little contact with your therapist is a red flag. Keep every factor in mind and then decide. Never take a step too quickly or too late, so that things don’t get out of your hands. 

There’s more to it than meets the eye. A good therapist will listen to you and will show keen interest in what you say and in your feelings; if you have symptoms, the therapist should be able to explain them to you, make you believe that you can improve your life, offer substantive advice and shall always keep check on your progress. In case the therapist is not able to  produce the desired results, you really need to reconsider. Hence, look for the tell-tale signs such as if your therapist is not listening to you attentively, or pushes their own beliefs onto you, or doesn’t take into consideration what your opinion and values are. 

The only solution here is talk to yourself like you would to a friend. Think about what’s not okay with the therapist and why you need that sort of change. Examine the situation and observe carefully. If you think that there is a lack of mutual understanding and the therapy is not conclusion focussed, take note of it and even if after that it feels like you should take that step, you might as well take it before it’s too late. 

Holding onto someone about whom you are unsure does more damage than good. Change is always needed in order for us to reach the sky. As sky’s the limit, no boundary can stop you from moving forward. Don’t be afraid of change and try to focus on the bigger picture. Also, it is well said that if you don’t like where you are, move. You indeed are not a tree. At times, a person cannot really fit well with another person, so it is OK to utilise that experience to figure out what works better for you. By the end of the relationship, the content covered might be useful for the next therapist to whom you switch to. This way, the new therapist will be in a better position to manage your case. 

Therapy can be a very long process and to reach the finish line, you need to have a therapist who can understand you, evaluate you, give practical and emotional feedback and be efficient enough to produce the desired results. Your therapist must be a good listener and so should you. If you listen to your therapist carefully and note down the crux of the matter then kudos to you, you are indeed on the right path. Therapists need to be empathetic, and if you think your therapist is not able to do that, you need to consider changing your therapist. The toughest part of therapy is the beginning because if the therapeutic relationship is not good, it can be really devastating for the both parties.

The client should be frank in their discussions and be honest about every little information that they discuss with their therapist. Honesty comes when you really trust the other person. The client should be familiar with their goals and should always mention them while the discussion is going on. They should always discuss what might be interfering with their goals so that they can get better feedback from their therapist. Thus, a careful approach allows a smoother transition, one which you will learn and develop as you proceed further.

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