Can any therapist help with any problem?

Q: Can any therapist help with any problem?

A: No. There are two reasons for this. One is simply in terms of specialization–does the therapist have the knowledge necessary to help a specific problem–and the second is in terms of match or chemistry–Do the client and the therapist “click”?

The former actually seems, from research on therapeutic efficacy, to be the minor factor. Since the prerequisite of therapy is a basic sense of safety and goodwill, the most credentialed doctor with the most specific knowledge will likely affect very little in your depression if you don’t trust or feel safe with them.

Why? Because when we feel unsafe we go into defense mode, i.e., we close down our openness to relationship and new information, and only focus on what’s relevant to fighting or fleeing or freezing. That is, we focus on how to survive what feels like a danger. We don’t feel that we can take the risk of openness, any more than if we think the russel in the bushes is a lion are we going to consider the internal source of our fears. Survival trumps, even if it’s a symbolic survival in the therapist’s office.

So while competence is important, in terms of experience, ethics, and knowledge, feeling safe enough with our therapist is necessary in order to allow us to take the risks required for healing. So, then, all therapists are not created equal, but mostly in terms of whether or not we “click” with them. That’s a subjective decision, but more important than credentials, and will likely determine much of how far you go in breaking down your depression.