In choosing a professional with whom you plan to discuss your most personal issues, one who you trust to give you direction and assistance, it is important to first spend some time considering what results you would like to see if therapy was successful from your own perspective. Remember no one can change someone else. We can only choose to help change ourselves, and a person has to first be uncomfortable with the way their life is going before they are open to alternative ways of doing things. There is, however, a very good chance that if one person changes what they contribute to a situation others around them will not only begin to respond differently but may also be motivated to have a different life for themselves. After becoming clear about what you would like to obtain from therapy it is then important to consider what are the most important qualities you want in a therapist working with you or those you love.
Educational qualifications are important to many people.
A Psychiatrist is a Medical Doctor who after completing an M.D. has had 3 years of specialty training in mental disorders. A board-certified psychiatrist has, in addition, practiced for 2 years and passed the written and oral examinations of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Most Psychiatrists only handle medication prescriptions for patients. Some psychiatrists have taken further training to conduct psychotherapy, and of those, most have been trained in psychoanalysis, which is an analytical and individual process-focused therapy. Medical continuing education is required to maintain their licenses.