TeenHealthFX - Answers - How Can You Tell If You Have a Good Or Bad Therapist?

Questions About Therapy/Concerns About Therapists / Question
Published: May 31, 2006

Dear TeenHealthFX,

Does the antidepressant "zoloft" cause weight gain? Also, how can you tell if you have a good/bad therapist, or if its just you?

Signed: How Can You Tell If You Have a Good Or Bad Therapist?

Dear How Can You Tell If You Have a Good Or Bad Therapist?,

Studies have shown that Zoloft is not associated with weight gain, so you should not gain weight from Zoloft. If you are taking Zoloft and have any concerns about side effects or are experiencing any problematic symptoms that you feel might be associated with the medication, TeenHealthFX recommends that you speak with your doctor as soon as possible.

Your second question is an excellent one since it is possible to having a client who is willing to look at his/her issues and work to make changes paired up with a not-so-competent therapist; and you could also have a very experiences and well-trained therapist working with a client who is resistant to making any changes and not very willing to put his/her share of work into the process. In determining if you have the right therapist for you, FX recommends thinking about the following:

Are you making progress? The point of therapy is to make positive changes – if that is not happening it may indicate that the therapist is not the right one for you, or that the modality of treatment is not the best choice (for example, if change does not come from individual treatment, maybe family sessions are the key). It may also indicate that the client is feeling stuck because the idea of change is feeling somewhat scary.
Does your therapist say or do anything, which feels inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable? If so, it is important that you raise it with your parents and with the therapist.
Is it hard for you to open up, be honest with, and trust your therapist? If so, is this something that is difficult for you with many people, or does it seem like something that mainly happens with your therapist?
Does your therapist have experience with dealing with the specific types of issues you want to address? For example, if you are anorexic, does the therapist have training and experience specifically working with eating disorders? It is fine to ask your therapist what his/her educational background is, as well as to ask if he/she has experience or specializes in certain areas.
Different therapists will have different personalities, as well as different styles of working. Not all personalities and methods of working click with different clients. If you have only been to one therapist, and your gut is telling you that something may not be working – you might want to have a consultation with another therapist to see if someone else would be a better fit.
Lastly, FX strongly recommends discussing your concerns with your current therapist so that you can voice your concerns and so that the two of you can work together to figure out what the problem may be and what needs to be done to resolve it.

If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area.

Signed: TeenHealthFX