Things To Consider When Choosing A Psychologist
- Written by News Company
A psychologist plays a vital role in managing the mental health condition of a patient. Hiring a good psychologist is the best way to ensure that the patient is guided well throughout the treatment process.
Before you hire a psychologist, you must know the things to consider when choosing one. This post will help you decide on finding the right psychologist. Read on to consider the tips below:
- Get Referrals
Start by asking your family, friends, and your doctor for a list of recommendations. The experiences of past clients of a psychologist can be used as a reference. The references can help you understand the psychologist’s work ethic and personal connection with their clients.
Further, browsing the internet can help you find some good psychologists. Reviews by clients will give you some ideas about the important qualities you should look for in a psychologist.
Look for a psychologist who has worked on similar cases. This is because psychologists can specialize in different areas, from child psychology to neuropsychology. In that way, you can choose the psychologist based on your or the patient’s requirements.
If you’re looking for individual counseling, find a psychologist who works in private practice in a clinical setting.
Interview the psychologists on your shortlist to get a first-hand experience of their abilities.
- Consider the Psychologist’s Experience
The years of experience of the psychologist matters to a client having mental health issues. There’s a sense of comfort when a patient goes to an expert or a veteran psychologist in the field.
To know the candidate better, ask for the number of similar cases successfully treated by the psychologist.
It’s also important to consider the strategies and treatment methods to know the psychologist’s approach to understanding mental health.
- Verify the Psychologist’s Credentials
One way of checking the credibility of the psychologist is to look for a license from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Through this, you’ll know how competent the psychologist is in his profession.
Other credentials, like training and related experience in clinical psychology, cognitive and behavioral psychology, and neuropsychology, are some of the roles of the psychologist that you need to align with your needs.
Furthermore, search for the downsides of the candidate. Look for malpractices in earlier cases by going through the psychologist’s available medical school, training hospital, and disciplinary records. This is even more important if you are looking for a child psychologist in Dubai because such specialists should have the highest level of professionalism and responsibility.
- Consider Gender
The client must be comfortable with the psychologist since personal information is discussed during counseling sessions. Aside from that, gender is also important when assessing mental health conditions. Psychologists have different approaches to treating men and women. Thus, take gender as one of your bases when hiring a psychologist.
Further, you can ask the psychologist whether he has recently undergone training and has experience related to your or the patient’s specific condition and gender.
- Assess Communication Style
Take note of the manner of communication of the psychologist during the interview. To evaluate the psychologist’s qualification, here are some of the points to look for:
- Is attentive and sincere to your/patient’s inquiries
- Is responsive to the patient and answers questions in a comprehensive manner
- Shows interest in getting to know the patient and making them feel accepted
- Considers the treatment preferences of the patient
- Respects and treats the patients with dignity
- Has a pleasant disposition and a good sense of humor
The psychologist must be trustworthy and easy to be with to help manage mental health conditions effectively.
- Review Patient Satisfaction Surveys
Take time to review the satisfaction surveys of past clients. Reading the comments and recommendations of clients will provide you an insight into the psychologist’s work ethic and professionalism. For instance, the satisfaction surveys usually include the experiences in scheduling appointments, office environment, courtesy of office staff, the trustworthiness of the psychologist, the time spent per session, and the approaches to patient’s inquiries.
- Know What Your Insurance Covers
Cost is also a factor in hiring a psychologist. Some professionals take part in the health insurance plan of the client. This will help you to save money.
However, some psychologists don’t accept insurance, but they have the experience, ability, and they score high on patient satisfaction. So, you’ll have to pay the fees but can be sure of good service. Cost should not be the main criteria anyway.
Final Thoughts:
The pointers above will help you to choose the perfect psychologist for your needs. Selecting the right therapist entails a lot of consideration to ensure that you’ll get the best possible treatment and resolution of the mental health condition. The sense of comfort, trustworthiness, expertise, and satisfaction surveys of the past clients can be some factors to consider when hiring a psychologist.
Checking the credentials and background of the psychologist is also essential when looking for the perfect psychologist who will cater to your specific needs. A good psychologist shows patience, empathy, trustworthiness, professionalism, and ability. Make sure to enjoy the company and find relief with the chosen psychologist.
Daily Bulletin
