There are many ways to choose a psychologist. You can talk with friends and family members, contact your local community mental health center, inquire at your church or synagogue, ask your physician or other health professional, contact your insurance company, consult counseling centers at local colleges and universities, or consult your local yellow pages. You may also call your state professional association, The New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) at 800-281-6572.

A psychologist and a client work together. The right match is important. You want to be certain that the therapist is appropriately credentialed to provide services to you, as well as being experienced in treating the types of issues you are presenting. You should feel comfortable in asking the therapist about his/her education, training, credentials, experience and specialty areas. You should ask about fees, about insurance, and about billing and office procedures. Feel free to interview several therapists, by telephone or in person, before making a choice.

Following the initial contact, you may want to meet two or three times before you decide to work together to help you determine if the therapist is right for you. Be clear with your psychologist about your expectations and share any concerns that may arise. It may be helpful to establish goals together. Keep in mind that certain tasks require more time to accomplish than others.

A common line of questioning that may follow then is "Will psychotherapy help me and how long will it take?". The answers of course depend upon what the initial problem is. Encouragingly, there is convincing evidence that most people who have at least several sessions of therapy are much better off than those that go untreated. A major study found that half of patients noticeably improved after eight sessions, while 75% of individuals in therapy improved by the end of six months. More specifically, according to a study by Stanford University School of Medicine, therapy can effectively decrease patients' depression, anxiety and other symptoms such as pain, fatigue and nausea. Overall health can be improved by therapy as well, since the link between emotional and physical health is well known.

People often feel a wide variety of emotions during therapy; relief and hope for example as well as discomfort from discussing painful and troubling experiences. This is often the nature of change. Therapy isn't easy, but patients who are willing to work in close partnership with their therapists often find relief from their emotional distress and begin to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.