Prior to recent trip to Washington, DC, with my husband and kids, I spent hours deep diving on Yelp researching and reserving great restaurants for us to try while visiting. In retrospect, I did ok—we had a number of solid but forgettable meals in solid but forgettable restaurants. Except for one.
My husband and I left our sleeping teenagers in the hotel and went out walking looking for morning coffee without any plan in mind. “How about this place? my husband asked? “Oh, let me look it up on the list of cafés I made,” I responded. “That’s ridiculous,” my husband said and in we went. The scrambled eggs were exquisite as were the lattes, the marble table tops, the intoxicating aromas, the sun beams glittering through the expansive windows, the dashing employees—perfection. An A+ for Tatte (https://tattebakery.com/washington-dc/). Sometimes good things just happen!
When it comes to finding the right therapist, sometimes we get a “Tatte” moment—just plain lucky. I did—the first time, at least. I was 23, and everything had hit the proverbial fan. A coworker handed me a business card and said, “Hon, call this guy. He is a therapist.” I knew zero about therapy and, though a college graduate, knew zero about psychology. I told my coworker, “I already have been to a tarot reader and an astrologer.” She laughed, no doubt marveling at my ineptitude. But she was right, and I struck gold with my therapist. If I had to write my autobiography, Dr. Lou would get a full chapter. But then, years later while training to be an MFT, I sought out a therapist hoping to recreate the Dr. Lou experience. I asked my favorite, most beloved professor for a referral. Despite the high praise and resounding approval from the beloved professor, I knew at our first consult that I wasn't going to connect with the new therapist. No vibe, no chemistry. A second referral from a different professor landed me with a very competent and fine therapist who I worked with briefly but the connection was just, ah, forgettable. I realized that the special heightened and connected feeling I had with Dr. Lou was not easily replicated.
There is no guarantee Greetings Therapist will help you find your Dr. Lou or Tatte, but it may be a better path to take than referrals or just “pics and bios” online. Let our interviews draw you in, like my husband was drawn into the smell of baked bread coming from Tatte, and maybe good things will just happen.
