Today's quote in the Finding Inspiration blog post series is from Louise Hay and Mona Lisa Schulz.

Spending time in nature can be very therapeutic. If you're like me and live in a city, it can sometimes seem challenging to find ways to spend time in nature. However, it's often all around us (or a short walk or drive away) and by simply practicing being mindful - looking up, down, and all around - we can enjoy some of nature's health benefits! Living in New England at this time of year provides an added benefit to being outside - the changing leaves are beautiful!

Here are some photos from a recent 'urban nature walk' where I practiced being mindful and curious about my surroundings. If you're not able to get outside, try taking some slow, relaxing, deep breaths while looking at these photos. Or listen to some gentle nature sounds. Breathe. Relax.

From time to time I'll be posting words that inspire. Today's quote in the Finding Inspiration blog post series is from Maya Angelou and is a good reminder to practice self-compassion.

Have you been considering starting therapy but aren't sure where to start? Are you feeling stuck or confused about the process of searching for a new therapist? In this blogpost I will discuss some of the reasons people seek therapy and share some resources and strategies on searching for a new therapist. If you have suggestions that have worked for you in the past, please share in the comment section!

The first thing you may want to consider before beginning a therapist search is to give some thought to the reasons you're seeking therapy and/or identify what you hope to get out of therapy. Some questions to consider might include: how long have you been struggling with this issue? How does it impact you? What (if anything) has helped in the past? Clarifying your own reasons for beginning therapy can help you, and any prospective therapist, figure out if the two of you would be a good fit to work together (more about client-therapist "fit" below).
 
Why do people go to therapy? People seek therapy for a variety of reasons. Some common issues that therapy can help with are: anxiety, self-exploration, perfectionism/a tough inner critic, feeling overwhelmed, low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, difficult family relationships, grief, trauma, depression, relationship issues, and life transitions (among many other reasons). In short, therapy is for everyone! Even if you are "successful" or a high achiever, therapy can still be helpful. This article from Inc. Magazine details 5 Reasons Successful People Need Therapy. While Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. on PsychCentral talks about Making the Most of Therapy.

So! Now that you have a sense of some of the issues you want to work on and have been struggling with…what's next? Searching for a therapist!
 
A great way to find a great therapist is through word of mouth. Ask someone you trust for a referral! Do you have a friend or family member who loves their therapist? Why not ask their therapist for a referral? Therapists often have networks of other clinicians that they know and trust. This is a great place to start.
 
Ask your Primary Care Physician (PCP) for a referral. Your PCP often will have a list of therapists they work with or can recommend. Also, if you plan to use insurance, call your insurance company. They should be able to provide you with a list of therapists in your insurance network. (We talk about some of the benefits of not using insurance to pay for therapy on our FAQ page.)
 
I also recommend searching online for a therapist (even if you are just reviewing the recommendations you got from a friend, family member, or your PCP). These days, almost all therapists will have some degree of an online presence. Reading your prospective therapist's website or other online profiles can help give you a sense of their specialization area(s), the type of therapy they practice, their background, information on fees and payment methods, location, and availability.

Here are some websites where therapists are listed:
Psychology Today has large database of therapists across the US with a variety of search options. For example, here are the search results for therapists in Arlington, MA (where Arlington Therapy Alliance is located!).
Therapy for Black Girls provides a database of African American therapists (and a great podcast!). Here are the therapists in Massachusetts from the Therapy for Black Girls website.
GoodTherapy.org is another large database of therapists, with multiple search options. Here are the GoodTherapy.org search results for therapists in Arlington, MA.
LGBT+ Resources offers a range of resources for the LGBTQIA+ community (currently focused on MA and RI). Here is the list of therapists from LGBT+ Resources.
Massachusetts & Rhode Island Therapists of Color Directory is a list of therapists of color in MA and RI.
Spirit of Change is a holistic magazine based in New England. Here is a link to the directory, which lists therapists as well as other types of healers.
And finally, search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo! can be helpful. Try searching for therapists in your city (or other criteria that is important to you, such as a therapist's gender, ethnicity, specialization, hours, etc.) or by the therapist's name.

And now…time to do your due diligence! Once you have a list of some prospective therapists who fit what you are looking for, call or email them and ask questions. Studies shows that – regardless of the type of therapy practiced – the relationship between the client and the therapist (the "therapeutic alliance") is one of the most important aspects to successful therapy. Therapy is an investment of your time, money, and energy (it can be challenging to work on yourself!) so it's important to take some time to find a therapist you'll feel comfortable working with.
 
Here are two articles that talk about the importance of the therapeutic alliance in therapy. The Therapeutic Alliance: The Essential Ingredient for Psychotherapy (HuffPost article by Deborah L. Cabaniss, MD) and The Importance of the Relationship in Therapy (Psychology Today article by Lisa Firestone Ph.D.).

I hope this information has helped with your search for a new therapist. Good luck!

From time to time I'll be posting some of my favorite quotes that inspire. Today's words are by Brené Brown.

I love the 5 senses technique! It's a super quick way to reorient and ground yourself and be fully present for a few moments. You can also do it anywhere and repeat it as many times as you need to feel relaxed.

How it works: start by taking a few slow deep breaths, letting your exhale be a beat or two longer than your inhale. This will begin to relax your body. Then, follow these steps.
5 – looking around your surroundings, notice 5 things that you can SEE that are the color green (or blue or white or brown, etc.)
4 – notice 4 different things that you can TOUCH (things with different textures, if possible)
3 – next, notice 3 things that you can HEAR (things that make a sound or might make a sound)
2 – notice 2 things that you can SMELL or that have a smell
1 – finally, notice 1 thing that you can TASTE (this can even be the taste of your own mouth)

Finish with a few more deep breaths and...that's it! How easy was that? Aren't you feeling more relaxed? If not, repeat the exercise looking for different items than you noticed the first time around.

As we get more and more anxious, our breathing gets more and more shallow. Shallow breathing means your muscles aren't getting the oxygen they need to remain relaxed. Tense muscles ramp up anxiety, and then the more anxious you become, the more tense your body gets. It's a vicious cycle! So, how can you stop this cycle?

Try some deep, diaphragmatic breathing! If you've ever watched a baby breathe, you'll notice that their stomach rises and falls with each breath, rather than their chest. This is diaphragmatic breathing! We're all born knowing how to do it, but we forget somewhere along the way (perhaps as we're told to "suck in our gut"). If you aren't already practicing breathing from your diaphragm, lying on a flat surface can help as you're learning the technique. Here are some articles with step-by-step instructions on learning diaphragmatic breathing: What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing? from Healthline and Learning diaphragmatic breathing from Harvard Medical School Healthbeat.

Once you have the technique down, spending even just 1-2 minutes on slow diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce anxiety and calm your body. The more you can practice (even when you feel good), the easier it will be to remember to use diaphragmatic breathing when you're feeling stressed or anxious.

I'm planning a full post on practicing gratitude for the future but wanted to include practicing gratitude as a quick technique to reduce anxiety. For this mini anxiety reducing exercise, write down 5 things you feel grateful for, right now in this moment (if you have more time, don't stop at five!). Practicing gratitude doesn't take much time and it's free. But best of all, it will make you feel good. Research by Robert Emmons, a leading expert on gratitude, shows that keeping a gratitude journal can increase feelings of happiness and well-being. While we may find it easy to feel grateful when something big goes our way, noticing "small" things or everyday gratitude, as I like to call it, is a great habit to get into because the benefits are cumulative. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and the greater the benefit.

Some examples of everyday gratitude? Spending time with your pet, noticing flowers in bloom, savoring your morning tea or coffee, hearing (or telling) a good joke, finding a beautiful seashell.

Why not give it a try? What are you feeling grateful for right now? To get started, just finish this sentence: in this moment, I'm feeling grateful for...

If you have a bit more time (about 15 minutes), try progressive muscle relaxation; a technique that involves tensing and relaxing the different muscles in your body. The tensing and relaxing of your muscles "forces" the muscle to relax. Relaxed muscles use less oxygen, allowing your heart rate and blood pressure to decline, which in turn relaxes your whole body.

Progressive muscle relaxation helps to reduce tension in your body, reduce anxiety, and can even help you fall asleep. For anyone who might be a nervous flyer, this is a great technique to do as you’re waiting to board, as you’re waiting to take off, and while you’re in the air.

Check out VeryWellMind.com for a walk-through on how to do progressive muscle relaxation.

Hello and welcome! We are Alice Moses, LMHC and Alison Mamatey, LMHC, two Licensed Mental Health Counselors in private practice in Arlington, MA. We’re glad you’ve stopped by!

We are very excited to share that we’ve added a blog feature to our website. As therapists, we believe that connection with others is vital for each one of us, as human beings. Connecting with others – either in person or online – can be a way to feel less isolated and more empowered.

We’ll be blogging regularly and look forward to sharing our thoughts with you on topics related to therapy, mental health, and general wellness. We’ll also be sharing resources that we find valuable or interesting, as well as inspirational quotes and affirmations.

We invite you to click through to our individual pages to learn more about each of us, our approaches to therapy, and the type of therapy we specialize in. If you are currently looking for a new therapist, we are both accepting new clients and would love to speak with you about your therapy needs.

The content contained on this website/blog are for informational purposes only; it is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical and/or mental health disease or condition. The use of this website/blog does not establish any type of therapist-client relationship. The information obtained from this site should not be considered a substitute for a thorough medical and/or mental health evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.  

Any links to external websites are for informational and/or reference purposes only. Alice Moses, LMHC and Alison Mamatey, LMHC accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the use or misuse of the information contained on this website, blogposts, or resources. We do not endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered at these other websites. Please examine external content carefully.