It’s a big decision, and an important one. Currently there are over 20 professionals listed in the Steamboat Springs yellow pages under such headings as Psychotherapists, Counselors, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists. How will you know which one will be a good choice for you? Here are some tips.

1. You’ll want to see a couple of letters behind the name, because they tell you something about the person’s professional training, certification, or licensing. But the number of letters is quite meaningless. More important is knowing what they mean. If you want to know what a set of letters means, click the box to the right -->. 

2. Make sure the person is licensed to practice in Colorado. Believe it or not, you can hang a shingle tomorrow advertising yourself as an “Unlicensed Psychotherapist”. It’s a poorly regulated term, and legal to use in most states. However, Colorado recognizes five (5) licensed fields of mental health treatment, and you’ll want to make sure you select someone with one of these licenses (or, in some cases, a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse).

3. Each professional title identifies a special emphasis in post-graduate training. In reality however, there is a lot of crossover and shared turf since all can treat the common disorders of mood problems (anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc), relationship problems, drug/alcohol issues, etc. But not all can treat each specific problem equally well, due to different levels of training and/or experience. The best thing you can do is match the problem(s) you’re having with a therapist who has expertise in treating it. I’ve asked my fellow (licensed) professionals to identify their top 5 specialty areas; click the box -->.

But how do you know for sure? Ask! Don’t be bashful. This is your life, your time, and your money, so ask questions that will clarify the professional’s competence in the area(s) that concerns you. You can do this on the phone, but some therapists (myself included) will also agree to meet with you briefly for no charge so you can “kick the tires” and get a feel for the person’s style and your comfort. If you don’t feel confident that you’ve selected the right professional, just thank him or her for the time and move on. No harm done.

Here are some good questions to ask (put your “issue” or issues wherever it says X). You can ask these or other questions on the telephone.

• How long have you been in private practice?
• What percentage of your practice deals with X?
• What are your usual approaches to treating X?
• What would you estimate to be the length of treatment? (that’s a tricky question, but just ask and see what they say).
• What are your fees?

Remember, once you begin talking with someone about your personal feelings and concerns, it is difficult to abandon that therapist for a fresh start with someone new. Best to get it right the first time. Since many professionals have put a Profile Page on this site, look them over to get a feel for each person. Click the orange link to the right.

4. One last thing. Avoid putting too much on your neighbor’s or the friend-of-a-friend’s recommendation. Just because your sister-in-law used Mrs. Wright after her divorce doesn’t mean Mrs. Wright is right for your depression or for helping you deal with parenting concerns. Personal recommendations can be valuable, because good therapists get good street reviews, but make your own choice based on thoughtful selection.

Best wishes in your quest for the ‘just right’ therapist for you.