A Good Therapeutic Fit

Research consistently shows that the biggest predictor of success in therapy is not the clinical approach, it’s not the therapist’s training background or years of experience, and it’s not based on whether the therapist has lived through experiences that relate to what you’re going through. The biggest predictor of success in therapy is finding a good therapeutic fit. But what is good therapeutic fit? How can you tell when you and your therapist are a good match?

1. You feel understood. Even when your therapist doesn’t fully understand, they make efforts to figure it out and don’t make any assumptions.
2. You don’t feel judged, ashamed, or embarrassed. Even with tricky topics, your therapist is able to make you feel as comfortable and respected as possible.
3. The focus is on you and your life. If or when your therapist shares anecdotes or personal experiences it’s relevant to your situation and ultimately helps you.
4. Your therapist offers new ways of thinking. Your therapist should help you gain greater insight by seeing how things are connected in your life.
5. Your therapist works at your pace. Realizing change takes time, they are able to manage the tricky balance of challenging you without pushing you too hard or too quickly.

Therapy itself can be challenging. It can be uncomfortable at first but it doesn’t need to be. Finding the right support in therapy can take time but when it comes to getting better it can make all the difference.

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This article was written by Jaylin Bradbury during their time at Shift Collab.