I think I may need to see a different counselor

Photo by: divine harvester

Sometimes the mental health professional you start to see, might not feel like the right fit. Not all counselors, psychiatrists or psychologists are the same. If you don’t like the first, or even the second or third person you see, it’s important to find someone else. However, like any relationship you have with friends, family or the people you work with, your relationship with your counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist is best when you trust them. Gaining this trust can take time. For more information, check out the Assessing a relationship fact sheet.

Deciding if your provider is right for you

Some of the questions you can ask yourself to help you decide are:

• Do I like talking to the person?
• Do I feel meeting with this person helps?
• Do I feel respected?
• Do I feel listened to?
• Is this someone I could grow to trust?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you might want to consider changing providers.

It is also important to realize that when you work with a mental health professional, the work itself might be difficult. Talking about tough issues can make you feel sad, angry, frustrated or uncomfortable. It’s not uncommon to direct these feelings towards your counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist. Be careful that you don’t confuse the hard work and the feelings it might bring up, with thoughts that the helper might not be a good fit. It’s OK to discuss this with your provider; it might help you decide whether it’s best to see someone else.

There are some things you can do to help you to get the most of out the time you spend with a counselor or therapist. For more, info check out the What you can do to get the best help fact sheet.

If you want some ideas on other people you can talk to, check out the Get Help section. You can also try calling the Boys Town National Hotline at 1-800-448-3000. Boys Town is open 24 hours a day, with trained volunteers who can direct you to providers in your area.

Last reviewed: May 2, 2012

Responses

Thanks for your comment on ReachOut.com! We moderate all comments to ensure the site is safe and supportive. Your comment should appear within 24 hours if it is approved.