Choosing an addiction therapist is an incredibly personal decision. The therapist can look great on paper, but if you don’t connect in-person your recovery might be stalled. It’s important that you feel your therapist has your back and is rooting for your success.

It’s also important to find someone who specializes in the issue you are dealing with and has the right tools to help. Addiction treatment is very different from marriage counseling, so just finding a licensed MFT or psychologist is not enough.

Questions to Ask in Your Phone Consultation

Most therapists want to speak to you on the phone prior to scheduling the initial session.

Here are a few questions to ask:

• What kind of experience do you have treating addictions?

• What kind of training have you received?

• How frequent will my sessions need to be?

• What is your success rate?

• Do you have experience treating trauma and abuse?

 The last question is particularly important. Many people come to us for addiction, only to discover that their compulsive behavior is fueled by trauma or abuse. It’s important that your therapist recognizes this so they can effectively address the root causes of your addiction.

If you’re dealing with addiction, we recommend finding a therapist who has been trained in advanced trauma treatment so you can work through painful memories when they come up.

EMDR has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to treat trauma. Internal family systems (IFS) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy are excellent methods as well.

What to Expect in the First Few Sessions

The first few sessions are an opportunity for you and the therapist to get to know each other. The therapist will ask for a detailed life history, including a history of your addiction. You can ask as many questions about the process as you need.

The therapist should also provide some practical tools, so you feel you can leave the office and begin to make healthier choices that very day. If you are in a relationship, most likely it is in crisis. That’s OK, your therapist is there to help you with that too.

You may feel uncomfortable during the first session or two—do your best to dig right in anyway. We recommend seeing your new therapist three times before you make a final decision about whether to continue treatment. If the first therapist just isn’t working for you, try someone else. The important thing is to get individual treatment for your addiction before it escalates further.

Connect with Integrity Counseling Group

If you live in San Diego County, Integrity Counseling Group may be a great fit for you. When you speak with our director, he will ask you several questions so he can match you with the right therapist. To get started, call (760) 283-7000.