The Gift of Therapy
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A gift is an exchange of something tangible or intangible between two people where what is exchanged has personal meaning to both.
Therapy is just such a gift. It is a unique opportunity between two people to share the uniqueness of you, the gift that you are and the meaning of your past interacting with your present and how you would like to define your future. It is a deeply personal gift and it is also one that keeps on giving and contributing to your life.
Therapy takes many forms and many contexts. It varies by client and the approach to therapy varies by therapist. It is personal because it reflects your needs and your vision for your life. Those precious things will grow and change as you pass through the various stages of therapy.
The most important part of therapy is the relationship between you and your therapist.
It will grow and change in remarkable ways over time, fueling your own capacity to change and build the life that you seek. It will have its ups and downs, its laughter and its tears, just like any other deeply meaningful relationship. It will be personal and it will be professional. In its finest practice, it is molded and shaped by both client and therapist alike. 
No one person's therapy is exactly like another's and it shouldn't be. Your past, present and future are uniquely yours and how you interpret meaning from those is also uniquely yours.
Make Your Investment Count
Therapy is not a relationship you should enter into lightly. It is a significant investment of your time, effort, energy and money. It is also an investment you make in yourself. It is one of the most meaningful ways you have of saying “I matter to me.” It reflects the relationship you have with yourself and your world today and the opportunity to transform those things for your benefit.
The person you choose to walk with you down the path of recovery is so very important. Take the time to choose what works for you, make that investment in yourself and recognize the opportunities choice can bring. The quality of the therapeutic relationship is the single greatest contributor to the successful attainment of your goals.
Before you start choosing a therapist, spend time reflecting on what is most important to you in the relationship, what you are willing to invest in the relationship and what you seek to derive from the relationship. Have a good idea of what traits and personality structures you work well with. Identify those traits you find challenging or don't work well with. Some challenge is good. We all need to grow. Other types of challenge signal a relationship that might not work to your benefit. Trust yourself as you interview therapists. Assess your comfort zone with those you meet. Do a bit of preparation in advance. We have provided a few short forms in the remaining sections that you may find helpful to print. They may help you focus your questions as you explore the opportunities of this relationship. They are as much questions of self as they are questions to be posed to your prospective therapist. We hope you find them helpful in making a choice that serves you in your journey.