At Waypoint Recovery Center we provide individual recovery and addiction therapy programs for our North Charleston and Cameron, South Carolina communities. We believe that therapy, especially the cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approach, supports long-term sobriety and mental health maintenance.
While we follow evidence-based therapy modalities, we also know that tailored treatment works best for our patients. That’s why your Waypoint Recovery therapist will do several things to prioritize your unique needs and experiences during sessions:
- Conduct individualized assessments that serve to identify your personal history, goals, and triggers to work on and around
- Consult you about which modified or blended therapeutic approach you’d like to utilize most heavily–whether that’s cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), expressive arts therapy, brain-based counseling, or recreational therapy
- Preserve your privacy and the sanctity of patient-doctor confidentiality so that you feel safe sharing everything you’re feeling and experiencing
- Align the therapist’s best practices and medical opinions to your needs and requests
While all of our licensed therapists and counselors follow these steps, we also consider other factors in pairing you with a therapist. These may include personality alignments, shared hobbies or interests, or the therapist’s level of experience with addiction counseling and recovery therapy.
But even after a successful experience in therapy here at Waypoint, you’ll still need to understand how to find and evaluate a therapist for ongoing support after you graduate from our residential or intensive outpatient program. To help, we’ve offered some guidelines to consider as you begin your search.
Keep in mind that many people seeking therapy for their mental health and well-being meet with several different therapists as they figure out which connection works best for them. Don’t be afraid to have a few sessions with a therapist, acknowledge a disconnect, and move on to another professional. This doesn’t mean that the person you declined is a bad therapist or person–it just means you’re not compatible.
The Easiest Ways To Identify an Incompatible Therapist
While most therapists are doing their best to help you and to follow therapeutic best practices, it’s always good to be aware of things a therapist might do or say that signal some questionable ethics or abilities. Look for the following red flags:
- Your therapist admits to or mentions that they regularly perform unethical or problematic actions
- They have no emergency protocol in place for mental health crises
- They ignore or belittle your questions, values, or past actions with direct or indirect tones of judgment or shame
- You discover that they have shared information from your sessions with others, a breach in patient-doctor confidentiality
- They fail to provide you with action items, homework, or suggestions for overcoming challenges
- They frequently discuss their personal life and feelings during your sessions
Overall, a therapist’s role is to help you triumph over the challenges you face in your life. So if you regularly leave sessions feeling worse about yourself and your situation, or if you feel ashamed or powerless after your sessions, it’s probably time to look for a new therapist.
Choosing The Right Therapist
A good therapist is a licensed professional who does the following:
- Has relevant certifications and background in trauma, addiction, and mental health counseling and therapy approaches
- Helps their clients feel like they’ve been heard and validated
- Communicates directly, respectfully, and with a degree of objectivity
- Avoids sharing their personal opinions or judgments of certain events, situations, behaviors, or lifestyles
- Offers various solutions and tools at a natural pace without forcing anything
- Helps clients feel like they are growing and improving with every collaboration
The Waypoint Recovery team is here to serve our clients before, during, and after they finish treatment with us. We hire professionals who are experts at creating a healing environment, and we help our graduates connect with aftercare support in their local communities. If you are looking for extra support as you navigate sobriety, please contact us. We can help.
