Quick Overview: Yes. When choosing individual therapy, safety can be a consideration to explore. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies physical and psychological safety as a principle of trauma-informed programs, organizations, and systems. SAMHSA also identifies trustworthiness and transparency, collaboration and mutuality, and empowerment, voice, and choice. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that rapport and trust are essential in psychotherapy and that a person should feel comfortable with a therapist and confident in their expertise. These sources offer topics and questions to consider; they do not determine personal fit or outcomes.
Choosing individual therapy may involve gathering information about a therapist’s approach and considering what matters to you in a helping relationship. Questions about safety, trust, comfort, collaboration, and choice may help structure that process. A preliminary conversation may also provide an opportunity to understand how treatment will proceed and whether you feel comfortable with a therapist.
Safety in a Trauma-Informed Framework
SAMHSA describes a trauma-informed approach as one used by a program, organization, or system. In this framework, an organization recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, understands potential paths for recovery, recognizes signs and symptoms of trauma, and integrates knowledge about trauma into its policies, procedures, and practices. SAMHSA states that trauma-informed approaches seek to actively resist retraumatization.
Safety is one of the principles SAMHSA identifies. In that context, safety means that participants and staff feel physically and psychologically safe. SAMHSA also names several related principles:
- Trustworthiness and transparency: Organizational decisions are conducted with the goal of building and maintaining trust with participants and staff.
- Collaboration and mutuality: The framework emphasizes partnering and leveling power differences between staff and service participants.
- Empowerment, voice, and choice: Organizations foster a belief in the primacy of the people they serve to heal and promote recovery from trauma.
These principles describe a trauma-informed approach at the program, organization, or system level. They do not establish whether a particular individual therapy service is trauma-informed, whether a particular therapist will be a fit, or how any one person will experience therapy.
Safety Can Be a Topic for Direct Questions
Safety may be difficult to reduce to a single feature or answer. SAMHSA’s framework can instead provide language for questions you may want to raise. For example, you might ask how questions are handled, what information can be shared about how therapy proceeds, or how your preferences can be discussed.
The supplied sources do not provide a universal checklist that can determine whether therapy will feel safe or comfortable for a particular person. They support asking clear questions about the topics that matter to you.
Trust, Comfort, and Confidence in Psychotherapy
NIMH defines psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, as a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. NIMH explains that therapists have different professional backgrounds and specialties and that the approach a therapist uses depends on training and experience and the condition being treated.
NIMH states that rapport and trust are essential in psychotherapy. Because discussions in therapy are deeply personal, NIMH says it is important for a person to feel comfortable with a therapist and confident in the therapist’s expertise.
According to NIMH, after identifying one or more possible therapists, a preliminary conversation can help a person understand how treatment will proceed and whether they feel comfortable with the therapist. NIMH notes that these conversations may happen in person, by phone, or virtually. This general information does not describe the format of a consultation offered by any specific practice.
Topics NIMH Identifies for a Preliminary Conversation
NIMH suggests asking prospective therapists about their specialty, treatment approach, and whether they practice a particular type of therapy. It also identifies questions about the rationale for therapy and its evidence base, goals of therapy, progress assessment, and what happens if the person or therapist feels improvement is not occurring.
These topics may help someone learn more about a therapist’s approach. They are not assurances about a particular treatment experience or result.
Reflection Questions for Choosing Individual Therapy
The questions below are not a scoring tool. They reflect SAMHSA’s trauma-informed principles and NIMH’s discussion of rapport, trust, comfort, confidence in expertise, and preliminary conversations.
| Question for reflection | Source-based topic |
|---|---|
| What would I like to ask about physical or psychological safety? | SAMHSA identifies physical and psychological safety within trauma-informed programs, organizations, and systems. |
| What would I like to know about the therapist’s approach? | NIMH suggests asking what approach a therapist uses. |
| What questions do I have about trust, comfort, or confidence in expertise? | NIMH states that rapport and trust are essential and that comfort and confidence in expertise are important. |
| Where would I want my voice or preferences to be included? | SAMHSA identifies empowerment, voice, and choice. |
| What would I like clarified about collaboration? | SAMHSA identifies collaboration and mutuality. |
| What would I like to understand about goals or progress assessment? | NIMH identifies goals of therapy and progress assessment as topics to ask about. |
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
- What is the purpose of the consultation call?
- What approach do you use in individual therapy?
- What is the rationale and evidence base for that approach?
- How are goals of therapy discussed?
- How is progress assessed?
- What happens if I or the therapist feel improvement is not occurring?
Practice Note: Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as the first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. Its Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through its contact details or form.
Individual Therapy at Rooted Integrative Therapy
Rooted Integrative Therapy lists individual therapy among its services. The practice also lists couples therapy, group therapy, and therapy intensives.
The practice identifies Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW, on its About page. Rooted Integrative Therapy lists in-person access near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah. This practice-wide access information does not specify the format of a particular service.
The practice’s FAQs describe a consultation call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. A consultation can therefore be a place to raise questions about approach, the information available about how therapy proceeds, and topics that matter to you when choosing individual therapy.
FAQs
Is safety relevant to choosing individual therapy?
Yes. SAMHSA identifies physical and psychological safety as a principle within its trauma-informed framework for programs, organizations, and systems. The framework can provide topics to ask about, including trustworthiness, collaboration, voice, and choice.
What does NIMH say about trust in psychotherapy?
NIMH states that rapport and trust are essential in psychotherapy. It also says that it is important to feel comfortable with a therapist and confident in their expertise.
What is a consultation call at Rooted Integrative Therapy?
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as the first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Does Rooted Integrative Therapy list in-person and virtual access?
Yes. The practice lists in-person access near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah.
Do these sources determine whether a therapist is right for me?
No. The SAMHSA and NIMH materials used here do not determine personal fit or outcomes for an individual reader.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Trauma-Informed Approaches and Programs
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
A Grounded Next Step
If you would like to make an inquiry or request an appointment with Rooted Integrative Therapy, visit the Connect page. The practice’s FAQs describe a consultation call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.