The Best First Step Towards Change: Choosing the Right Counsellor for OCD and Anxiety

The fact that you’re here is the best first step you can make towards the changes you want in your life! You’ve recognized the need to choose something different for yourself, and seeing a therapist feels like that pivotal step. Now, the challenge lies in finding the right therapist for you.

Hopefully, I can provide some helpful guidance on how to choose the right therapist for your unique situation. First, let me say that I understand—it’s a daunting task, even for me as a therapist! Below, I’ve listed tips to make the process easier for you. Feel free to pick the order that resonates most with you.

1. Start with Their About Me Page

This is often the ideal starting point to find the right fit. The About Me page usually provides details about the therapist’s work history, educational background, special training, and a touch of personal information. This can help you determine if they have the skill set and experience needed to support you. Discover more about me and my practice by visiting the other pages of this website!

2. Verify Their Credentials

Licensure and credential verification are important when choosing a therapist. While some provinces in Canada provide systems to verify therapists’ credentials, not all provinces cover every type of therapist. In these cases, national-level counselling organizations can help bridge the gap. For example, the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) are trusted organizations that verify therapists’ credentials and ensure they meet professional standards. Checking these resources can give you confidence that your therapist is qualified to help you.

3. Check for Specialties

Specialties can include specific issues, populations, or therapy modalities which the therapist has training and experience in providing. Personally, I list my specialties separately from my services to highlight areas where I’ve focused significant continuing education. For example, I specialize in helping people with OCD thanks to my extensive training in Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. I also identify panic and anxiety as specialties based on a blend of work experience, specialized training, and my ability to connect deeply with those facing these challenges.

4. Factor in Finances

Therapy is undoubtedly an investment—of time, energy, and money. If you have mental/behavioural health benefits through insurance, therapy can become more affordable. I plan to provide direct billing soon, making using your insurance as seamless as possible for my clients. In the meantime, I’ve introduced a sliding scale fee for clients without therapy benefits or for whom full fees are beyond their means. I believe everyone deserves access to therapy, and this is my way of ensuring that, whenever possible, cost won’t be a barrier.

5. Reach Out

Once you’ve shortlisted therapists who align with your needs, reach out! Many therapists offer consultation calls, which are a great opportunity to see if your personalities match and ask important questions about therapy with them. It’s also a chance to explore compatibility in scheduling. Preparing questions in advance can help you make the most of this interaction.

6. Book Your Appointment

After finding a potential match, schedule your first appointment. Some therapists will discuss this during the consultation call to ensure a seamless experience.

7. Take Time to Adjust

Building comfort with a new therapist can take a few sessions—and that’s perfectly normal! Sharing sensitive material requires trust, which develops over time. If you’re still unsure after a few sessions, don’t hesitate to bring up your concerns with your therapist. Open communication about your likes and dislikes within the therapeutic relationship is invaluable, and trust me—therapists appreciate your honesty. We aren’t mind readers and the best therapeutic experiences often stem from transparent collaboration.

Finding the Right Therapist Matters

Research shows that the therapeutic relationship is as crucial as the skills you develop in counselling. Finding the right therapist is essential to achieving your goals and making meaningful changes in your life.