Searching for the “best” therapist?
Psychodynamic Therapy Overland Park, KS
It is the therapist’s relationship to the patient, not the therapist’s interpretations, that heals —Donald Winnicott
Finding the right therapist is less about credentials on paper and more about what happens in the space between two people. Psychoanalytic thinkers have long emphasized that the relationship itself is the treatment, that change unfolds not because a therapist says the “right” thing, but because a client feels emotionally met. Donald Winnicott wrote that therapy happens in the overlap between two inner worlds—a place where safety, curiosity, and play can exist.
What is the “best” kind of therapy?
When looking for a therapist, you’ll likely encounter a long list of acronyms and unfamiliar terms—EMDR, CBT, DBT, ACT, somatic, psychodynamic etc. Woof. It’s natural to wonder what all of these mean and which approach is “best.” My goal here isn’t to educate you on every modality, but to name something more essential: regardless of the type of therapy you choose, the single most important part of therapy is feeling safe and seen. Theories matter, but they matter far less than the experience of being met as a whole person.
What to ask yourself when wondering whether you feel safe or not
Can I be my whole self here, without fear of judgment?
Does this therapist hold clear and appropriate boundaries that help me feel contained rather than restricted?
Even with boundaries, does this feel like a real, human relationship—one where curiosity, openness, and exploration can exist?
Finding the right fit is not about perfection
Being understood can be deeply healing in itself. Finding the right fit isn’t about perfection or instant ease, but about sensing that this is someone you can bring your inner world to—someone with whom you feel welcomed, held, and taken seriously. If that feeling isn’t there it may mean you have not yet found your relational home.
what i hope you experience in therapy with me
Feeling emotionally safe enough to speak freely, even when words come out messy or unfinished
I will be curious with you, rather than certain about you
Together we will sit with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty without trying to fix you
Feeling seen as a whole person—not reduced to symptoms, diagnoses, or strategies
Know that you can come with all your feelings, including those you have regarding me and our relationship.
