Finding a therapist that works for you.
“New Year, New You” tends to be the mantra as a new year starts. We all know 2020 was a rough year. As a therapist, I always see an increase in client calls at the beginning of the year and finding the right therapist is important. It can be intimidating and scary to begin looking for a therapist. Not only are you having to be vulnerable in making the decision to ask for help, but you also are calling a stranger and sharing why you have chosen to seek therapy out at this point. As a therapist, I believe it is essential for clients to find a therapist who they feel is the right “fit.” When I say this, I am referring to finding a therapist who has experience in a specific area that you would like to work on, i.e., a therapist who has experience working with couples dealing with infidelity, because you wouldn’t go to a chiropractor to get your eyes checked. When looking for a therapist, I have put together a few tips that might be helpful when choosing a therapist who works for you.
Use Psychology Today or other sites to search for a therapist in your area: When looking for a therapist, Psychology Today is probably one of the most popular sites to search for a therapist in your area. The therapists on the site are required to pay for their listing and each therapist is verified to ensure they are in fact a therapist registered with their respected state licensing board. A few other sites include TherapyDen and Mental Health Match. If you plan to use insurance, you can also look up providers through your respective insurance companies provider website.
Call at least 3 different therapists: When looking for a therapist call at least 3 different therapists who meet the criteria for what you are looking for in a therapist.
Interview the therapist: Do not be afraid to interview the therapist and ask them questions about their education, experience, or additional training they have in their respective field. Ask the therapist about their experience working with clients in your similar situation. This is essentially a job interview for the therapist!
Ask if the therapist provides a free consultation or initial session: Some therapists do provide a free in-person or phone consultation. These generally are shorter in length than an actual session but can provide you more information on if the therapist can meet your needs or would be the right fit for you, your partner, or family. This is a great time to ask any lingering questions that you had from the first contact. Some therapists do offer no cost initial sessions (50 minutes) and would include time to answer questions about the therapeutic process. This will be a more in-depth conversation on your reasons for seeking therapy and to discuss goals for therapy. This type of session allows you to get a feel for the therapist to see what a working relationship with the therapist might be like.
Look at their website or social media: Today, most therapists have a website, and you can get an idea of their experience, years in practice, and specialties. Also, looking at their social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok can help you gauge if you like the content they are posting about and what specializations the therapist is well-versed in.
Ask your network for recommendations: Ask your friends or family for recommendations they might have regarding a therapist. Word-of-mouth is sometimes the best resource.
