Have you ever considered doing a Google search for a therapist or marriage counselor “near me?”
Unless you have a reliable referral from someone whose opinion you value, such searches were and remain the norm. But perhaps you might take a moment and rethink this search strategy.
The criteria to consider when selecting a therapist might include their gender and experience, the professional’s practice approach, or perhaps their publications. Most importantly, the description of the therapist and what they have to say should speak to you.
Is Remote Therapy for You?
The format of therapy and couples counseling was upended by COVID. Even if your therapist was in your town, you likely met by Zoom for safety purposes.
Well, post COVID most therapists continue to offer their services by Zoom. This is likely due to a matter of convenience. Given that, why should we limit ourselves to professionals within a radius of miles, rather than look for the very best fit we can find?
Reasons Why You Should Expand Your Search
There are clearly reasons you may choose to prefer to meet face to face. The intimacy provided by being in the same room may be important to you.
That said, there are two reasons to expand your geographical search.
First, doing so may enable you to find a far better fit for your needs if you’re no longer constrained by counselors proximate to where you live or work. Second, in our very busy lives, Zoom therapy sessions afford significant convenience.
Saving precious time not having to travel to your therapist’s office, or having a child home from school, may make a huge difference in your showing up for your sessions. Many of my clients are high achieving individuals in stressful jobs and Zoom sessions offer them the only way to find the time for therapy.
And in the case of couples counseling, virtual therapy brings all three of us into the meeting even when we’re each in different locales.
Re-Think Your Search Beyond “Near Me”
Rethink your search for a therapist. Look for the very best you can find, not simply one from the pool “near me.”
