A little while ago, we asked our 3,000,000+ person social media community what questions they had about therapy, and the most common ones were:
- What is the purpose of therapy?
- What are some red flags to look for in a therapist?
- Why hasn't therapy worked for me in the past?
- How long is "too long" to be in therapy?
So, professional counsellor and Depression Project co-founder Mathew Baker got together with renowned Australian television presenter Hayden Turner to film answers to each of these questions. You'll find the second video below - What are some red flags to look for in a therapist? - which goes for about half an hour in total (and, if you're short on time, we've included some "key takeaways" from the video below that).
What Are Some Red Flags To Look For In A Therapist?
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Key Takeaways From This Video:
- Red Flag #1: You don't feel "safe" with your therapist (for example, because you feel that they judge you, are overly-critical of you, ï»żor are dismissive of what you tell them).
- Red Flag #2: You don't feel as if you have a good "working relationship" with your therapist.
- Red Flag #3: You don't feel as if your therapy sessions are working towards something productive (such as the goals you have for going to therapy).
- Red Flag #4: The therapist tries to impose their own limiting beliefs on you (for example, if you express to them that your ultimate goal is to overcome depression, and that you're prepared to work really hard towards achieving this goal - but they tell you that it isn't possible to overcome depression, and that they'd rather teach you some strategies to make it easier for you to "live with depression" instead. In this example, a therapist who believes it's possible to overcome depression and is willing to try to guide you along this journey will be a much better match for you).