Choosing the Right Therapist

Alternative or Integrative Medicine is growing ever more popular as people are getting more and more frustrated with the limitations and impersonal service of the healthcare system. It’s scary to think that your healthcare choices are often being dictated not by your physicians but by your insurance company. Consequently, many people are looking for another way. While these alternative methods of healthcare are definitely more attentive to each patient’s needs, they do not lack for problems either.

This is why it is of utmost importance that when you look for a therapist you are asking the right questions. After all, your health is the most important possession you have. So, after many years of practice both within the healthcare system and as an integrative medical practitioner, I have compiled a list of helpful questions that you may wish to consider before you begin your search. I hope they are helpful and good luck in finding the right person for you.

Why are you seeking a massage therapist or other alternative medical provider?

Are you stressed or are you in pain? Do you need a mini vacation or do you need to “reconnect” with your body? These are important questions and you need to know the difference. If you are stressed out and need to relax, then perhaps what you are looking for is a relaxation massage were the therapist will use warm oil, a gentle touch, and soft music to ease your cares away. However, if you are having pain or know you are just not feeling “right” then perhaps you need something deeper and more therapeutic than a superficial massage.

Take a moment to investigate the type of therapy you are interested in!

Find out about exactly what the therapy does and how it is supposed to help. Find out about what conditions it is commonly used to treat. Do not be afraid to ask questions from your perspective therapist and do not just assume that what you are hearing is correct. I urge you to do some research on your own before you see someone. Have a list of questions handy. Your health is the most important of your possessions. Please take the time to look into the “product” you are buying the same way you would check out any other item you were planning to purchase.

Ask some questions regarding your therapist’s background.

It is important to feel that your therapist is competent so that you can relax knowing you are in “good hands”. Find out how long your perspective therapist has been practicing and where they trained. Check to see if they are members of any professional organizations. While these things do not guarantee that you have found the right person for you, it often does guarantee that the prospective therapist has been through some type of credentialing process that helps to ensure their competency to practice.

What if I get there and after just a little bit I do not feel comfortable?

Your safety and comfort should be every therapist’s foremost consideration. If you are not feeling comfortable and safe then no matter how good that therapist may be, they may not be good for you. You should inform the therapist how you are feeling and if they are unable to modify the situation so that you are feeling safe, then you should end the session and leave. While this may be difficult or awkward, it is essential. Therapy without safety is not therapy. It is abuse.

What if I’ve already been to the doctor and they tell me nothing is wrong yet I still hurt?

This is also known as the “it’s all in your head” syndrome. First, relax. Your pain is real, not imaginary. Second, when a physician tells you that nothing is wrong, what they are really saying is that they can find no reason for your pain. In other words, you do not have a major medical problem that they can treat with drugs or surgery. However, most physicians do not treat muscular pain. So, find the most experienced and qualified therapist you can and see what they have to say. I have treated many people who fit into this category and every single one of them had a legitimate reasons for their pain. Just because doctors don’t know something does not mean it does not exist. Remember, Western medicine as practiced in the United States is only a couple of hundred years old at best.

What if I’ve had 4 treatments and I’m no better?

This last question is a bit tricky. If after 4 treatments or approximately a month’s worth of therapy you have experienced absolutely no improvement, it usually means that your therapist is incorrect in their treatment approach. Now I say usually because this is not always true. If, for example, you have had back pain for 30 years and you are continuing to perform the same activities that have given you this pain, it would be unreasonable to expect any significant change. Remember, therapy is an interactive process where the patient is just as responsible for their own well being as the therapist. What is most important is that you maintain an open and honest dialog with your therapist.