Here are five things you should look for in a couples therapist.

Which couples therapist is best for you? How do you know if they’re qualified? How do you select the right couples therapist among hundreds of professionals in the Atlanta area?

The state of Georgia licenses mental health professionals. As a result, any credentialed therapist should be able to help.

But there are differences in experience, therapy style, and approach. And those differences can impact the speed and quality of improvement you and your partner experience in your relationship.

You can find the right fit in a couples therapist if you know what to look for. Here are five things to look for when selecting a couples therapist:

Look for someone with specific training in couples therapy

Individual therapy is a different from couples therapy. A couples therapist should have special training. Ask your potential therapist about their training.

Look for someone who understands your goal is to feel better

Someone who is direct, who not only listens, but also provides a clear path and direction/solutions to the problem. Couples are stuck for a reason and need some ideas for how to get unstuck. 

A top complaint of clients is that therapy is expanding and unfocused.  People are paying a therapist for their opinion and feedback and it’s okay for the therapist to give it.

A couples therapist should help set goals for the therapy process

This also helps to determine if a couple is ready for couples therapy. If the couple’s goals are not aligned or incompatible, it’s likely not an appropriate time for couples therapy.

A good couples therapist should call out bad behavior

Good couples counselors can be direct, calling out bad behavior, verbal abuse and gaslighting. It takes confidence and experience for a professional to insert themselves into an angry spat.

In other words, make sure your therapist is able and willing to put boundaries around behavior that is harmful.

A good couples therapist won’t get bullied or manipulated

Again, this is about experience. A seasoned couples therapist doesn’t let one partner jeopardize the session. Also, they don’t allow for one partner to contact the therapist without the other partner knowing.

Quite simply, look for a therapist who doesn’t consistently take one partner’s side.

Still stumped? Give Amy Howard a call. She’s a Georgia licensed therapist who’s been helping fix relationships since 2005.

You can schedule a free phone consultation with Amy Howard by calling (404) 904-7941.