Finding a therapist in San Jose, CA
San Jose CA is Northern California's largest populated city and the sun shines an average of 300 days a year. It's easy to assume that finding a therapist is San Jose, CA would be easy with the large population and everyone might be “fine” with all that sunshine. Finding the right therapist can be really hard, even in a very diverse and populated city like San Jose, CA.
Even with all that sunshine, you find yourself struggling with anxiety and while you’ve tried to manage things on your own, you are starting to realize it’s time to find a therapist but the search feels super overwhelming. Here are some tips to help with finding the right therapist in San Jose, CA for you.
Tip #1: Find a therapist who specializes in your area of struggle.
If you have a heart issue, you want to see the cardiologist, rather than your family doctor, right? The same is true with mental health. Not all therapists work with the same issues and it’s important to seek out a therapist who is skilled in helping with the issues you are facing. If your anxiety is causing you to stay home and withdraw, you want to see an anxiety therapist. If you have trauma from past or recent painful experiences that shows up in your relationships, you want to seek out a trauma therapist.
In my private practice, I focus on helping individuals with anxiety and trauma. I have additional training and tools beyond talk therapy that help my clients experience relief and find hope for living without anxiety or past memories dominating their day. Many of my clients don’t want another therapist who just rehashes their history and pain. Within the first few sessions my hope is that you will experience more lightness in your body and in mind so that the crippling anxiety loosens its grip.
Tip #2: Schedule a call with the therapist to see if they are a good fit.
The most important thing in therapy is that you feel comfortable with the counselor you are going to be talking to. Imagine talking to someone about your struggles who you don’t feel comfortable with. That sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Even though you may not exactly know on the phone, check your gut to see if you could freely share on the phone with the therapist. During the initial consultation you should be able to ask your questions, ensure that the therapist knows how to work with your struggles and to get a feel for connection.
In my private practice, I offer a free 15 minute consultation for those seeking anxiety or trauma treatment. In those 15 minutes, I will get a brief overview of what you are struggling with and let you know how I can help you. We will determine if I am a good fit for you. If I am not, I am really well connected in the San Jose community and can help you with a referral so you can get the help you are longing for!
Tip #3: Ask the therapist about the tools they use in session.
Make sure the therapist has tools that really help you. There are many types of therapy out there that work with different issues. Not all therapies are the same. As an anxiety and trauma specialist, I use a brain based therapy called Brainspotting because it will help you focus on the part of your brain that carries your anxiety (and all your emotions) as well as your negative experiences. There's a lot more to therapy than just talking and in Brainspotting sessions, you can talk as much or as little as you want. If you want to do more than just talk, ask the therapist what kind of tools they use.
Tip #4: Remind yourself that your mental health is extremely important.
Don’t give up on the search for healing. Finding a therapist in San Jose, CA is an act of bravery and your life can be more fulfilling and your emotions do not need to rule your life. The things that have happened to you and are happening to you can feel different and you can feel more like your truest self!
A free therapy consultation in San Jose, CA
I hope that finding a therapist in San Jose, CA will be a little less difficult if you follow the tips above. If you are still wondering about how to find someone, feel free to contact me here for a 15 minute phone consultation and we can talk about what kind of therapist you are looking for and I can help refer you to the right person or if you are struggling with anxiety or trauma, please book a consultation with me to see if I might be a good fit.
