There can be several reasons why you might be seeking the help or advice of a psychologist, either for yourself, or for someone you care for, such as a child. Given the huge impact that any meetings and subsequent consultations with that psychology professional can have on the lives of the people they are treating, it is imperative that you choose your psychologist wisely.
Now we are not saying this because there is a huge problem with so-called ‘rogue’ psychologists, after all, we are not talking about someone coming to fix your boiler. However, what we are saying is that given the extremely personal one-to-one interactions that a psychologist will have with their client as they confer, support, and treat them, it is essential that you get the choice right.
To give you some assistance in making a better and more informed decision, here are some questions to ask of them and to research in their reviews so that you can determine whether they are the right choice of psychologist for you or a member of your family
Are They Passionate About Their Work?
You want to select a psychologist who is passionate about the role they have, as this augurs well for them being passionate about helping their patients. Any initial conversations you have with them, even if it is an enquiry, should give you some indication of how much they seem to want to help.
Also, you want a psychologist who is experienced in the type of issues that they are going to be helping you with. Even though they cannot divulge specific client details, do not be afraid to ask them about their previous results.
Are They Results Driven?
Be cautious of psychologists who seem inclined to take the same generic approach with each client, and thus may not have achieved exactly what those clients were looking for.
Ideally, your psychologist should be one who is happy to listen to what your goals are for the consultations that they are going to have with you. If they are willing to adapt their sessions and to work with you, to achieve those specific results then that is an extremely positive sign.
Do They Provide A Personalised Service?
You should be seeking a psychologist who conducts the vast majority of the consultations with you themselves, rather than you having to see multiple psychologists.
It may be suitable on specific occasions where another psychologist has a greater experience than their colleague on a particular matter and this contributes to the treatment. However, a scenario where you see different psychologist each time is not ideal. For consistency of approach seeing the psychologist you originally hire on most occasions is preferable.
Are They Approachable?
You, or the person you are caring for, need to feel comfortable speaking to the psychologist, especially as you may be divulging several personal thoughts and feelings. You want this to be with a psychologist whom you feel listens to you and whose communication with you is conducive to your feeling of ease continuing.
Are Their Reports Clear And Understandable?
Although you would wish for this to be the case if you are the person the psychologist is treating, it is especially so if you are being given the reports that are created in relation to your child, for example. Not only as their parent or guardian do you want the reports to be clear, but also if any third party needs to read them such as their school or their family doctor.
