Counseling options in St. George are as plentiful as the red rocks that surround us. Hard to believe? It’s true! The real difficulty is knowing what to expect from your therapist and the therapy process.
Are you looking for a therapist near your downtown St. George UT apartment? Is it more important that you find a therapist who is skilled in EMDR trauma therapy and you’re willing to drive from Ivins, over Red Hills Parkway, all the way to Washington?
Putting location and skill-set aside, do you want a therapist who practices your faith? Perhaps it’s more important that you find someone who respects your recent faith crisis and transition. Do you want someone to give you clear and firm direction or gentle guidance?
Before we run into many more options, let’s cut to the chase. In today’s blog we’ll lay out what you can expect from counseling and therapy services in St. George, UT. Rest assured, your questions will be answered and we’ll leave you with your free #1 resource at the bottom so you can feel certain about your choice and expectations.
Chances are, you’ve been in some sort of discomfort that led you to counseling in St. George, UT. High achieving women come to Guided Wellness Counseling to recover from anxiety, depression and PTSD. In these early days it’s common to feel doubt that anything or anyone could help you. Many women feel they are alone in their struggle, are weak for not healing on their own (they are productive in so many other areas of their life!).
But help is available. Getting clear on what to expect from your therapists is the first step. So take a moment to think about what’s causing you pain. Is it anxiety? Have you had to keep your faith crisis a secret? Are you struggling with rage and irritability after having a baby?
At the time of this blog we are currently serving clients who are struggling with:
- Betrayal trauma
- Overwhelm
- ADHD and ADHD lifestyle management
- Childhood abuse
- Low self-worth / low self-esteem
- Boundaries
- Life transitions
- Chronic Pain / Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS)
Once you know your pain point(s) you can begin to find a therapist that is passionate about your journey. For example, at Guided Wellness we are clear in our passion for women’s health. This is why we don’t serve video game addicted teenage boys! They would be better served by another therapist in town who is passionate and skilled in supporting that young man’s pain point.
As you call to make an appointment with your therapist, be willing to share a little about how or why you are struggling. This sets a clear agenda from the get-go and can propel your counseling experience forward.
Once you have found a therapist who is passionate about supporting you through your unique struggle (depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc), you’ll want to make your appointments a priority. That means you attend regularly and frequently.
Now, I want to start by recognizing there are many barriers to attending counseling. Not just cost but also work schedules, childcare, travel, etc. There’s also the fear and intimidation some women feel when beginning counseling; as much as they want to feel better they also want to avoid getting close to pain from the past or feelings of shame. On this latter point, your therapist can help you set a pace that doesn’t leave you with
an emotional hangover.
Having said all that, I would be remiss if I didn’t share the research. And the research shows that frequency matters, especially in the first 8-12 weeks. Clients who attended weekly 50-min sessions in those first 8-12 weeks had the best results.
For this reason, at Guided Wellness Counseling we often recommend weekly counseling at the start. Once you’ve got your footing and some progress is made many clients have found this pace works well and they continue.
We work with every single woman to set a pace that is realistic for her schedule, finances and goals. Being on the same page about scheduling allows you to create realistic expectations about what your relationship with your therapist will look like.
So you’ve called, made an appointment and attended 2 sessions now and plan to return next week. How does counseling feel? Did you feel heard, understood and respected? Did it feel like your therapist “gets” you?
Your therapist is not going to feel like a best friend – this is not necessary for a good relationship. But your therapist is someone you need to trust and depend on. And if you don’t feel like they get you or respect you… if you feel like they didn’t really listen… then this might not be the right therapist for you.
Clients who report that their therapy felt really successful all note this unique experience of “I feel like my therapist got me.” (Again, there is a lot of research documenting this). Location, scheduling and specialities aside, this kind of “you get me” relationship is a basic requirement for effective therapy that will meet and exceed your expectations. So whether you are recovering from depression, coping with anxiety or moving past trauma
and PTSD, pay attention to how you feel when you meet with your therapist.
I hope this helps you find the right therapist in St. George, UT. You’ve got two main goals right now: find at least one word that describes your pain point (e.g. “anxiety”, “faith crisis”, “divorce”, etc) and mentally commit to making at least one phone call to start counseling next week.
We’d be glad to offer you a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation by calling (435) 767-1424 to help you get even more clarity on your pain-point, match you with a therapist who “gets you” and schedule your first session.
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