The Guide to Therapy for Teens, Part Three

What’s the deal with your therapist?

Now that we’ve talked about the whys and whats of therapy, let’s chat a bit about the WHO. Have you ever thought “Who the heck is this therapist person and why are they here to listen to me?”

Who therapists are not

• Your parent – Counselors cannot tell you what to do and don’t want to be “in charge” of you. While therapists do expect to be treated with respect, they want to work as a partner with you.

Magnifying Glass: Guide to Therapy for Teens, Part 3

• Your friend – Your relationship with your therapist is all about you. The therapist you are seeing will not share much about themselves to make sure you and your needs are the main focus.
  
• Magicians – Sadly, therapists cannot perform magic tricks. Counselors cannot make bad feelings go away or hard situations all better overnight. What they can do is listen and support you in the process of feeling better.
• Mind readers – Therapists spend a lot of time listening to and talking with clients. They learn to watch verbal and non-verbal cues to understand what is going on with the person in our office. However, counselors can only go with what they see and hear. It is important to counselors to not make assumptions about you.
  

Who therapists are

• Professionals – Your therapist has gone to school for quite a long time to be ready to be a counselor. They are licensed by the state you live in and are required to continue learning about the best ways to practice therapy. A good therapist takes their work seriously.

• Problem solvers – Counselors love to help brainstorm ways to solve problems. Like I said earlier, your therapist is not there to boss you around. Their job is to offer ideas and support to help you find the best way to solve problems you are experiencing.
• People who care, a lot. – People who go into counseling care a great deal about helping others. Caring means therapists are willing to have tough conversations about difficult topics. Caring means counselors will not judge you for your thoughts and feelings. And, most of all, it means your therapist will help you in every way they are able.
  

Check out the first two parts of the series!
The Guide to Therapy for Teens, Part One: Why is My Mom Making Me Go to Therapy?
The Guide to Therapy for Teens, Part Two: What to Expect in Counseling

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Bethany Raab is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Denver, Colorado.
She is passionate about helping teens and families be happy and healthy!