Starting therapy is emotionally complex, and the logistics of finding the right therapist can quickly become overwhelming.
If it’s your first time in therapy, this initial hurdle seems like a big one. The right therapist plays an important role in just how effective the treatment is, so it’s a choice to give a lot of thought to.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to find a therapist that works with your needs.
How To Find A Therapist
Here are the important steps to take when finding a therapist.
Find Therapists In Your Area
Finding a list of therapists in your area is actually the easiest part of choosing a therapist.
- You can find a list of trusted therapists using the Psychologist Locator on the American Psychological Association.
- You can also use the Find A Psychologist Tool offered by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.
- Psychology Today also has a Find A Therapist search.
Alternatively, you can try a more personal approach. If you have friends or family who have benefited from therapy, try asking them for recommendations.
Your physician may also be able to put you in contact with a good therapist. This will provide you with trusted names, and you can learn more about the process of starting therapy.
Consider Health Insurance Options
Having gathered a list of names, the next step is to consider payment—do you want to pay cash, or does your health insurance cover therapy?
This question needs to be considered upfront, as it will affect what therapists are available to you. If you’re willing to consider both options, then you can move on to evaluating the attributes of each therapist.
However, if you plan to pay through your insurance plan, this will limit the number of therapists available to you. Contact your insurance provider directly, as they can provide you with a network of suitable options.
Ask your insurance provider the details of what the plan covers.
Find out how many sessions they’ll pay for, and if choosing a therapist from outside the plan will affect your out-of-pocket costs.
Contact Specialized Organizations
Searching for any and all therapists in your area can land you with quite a list of names.
This isn’t always helpful. Instead of finding a therapist to address your specific concern, it can feel like you’re wading through dead ends. One way to narrow the search down is to contact organizations, helplines, and associations linked to the issue you want help with.
For example, if you’re struggling with trauma, the National Center for PTSD can help you find trauma-specific therapists in your area.
Consider Your Goals
At this stage in the journey, you might not have clear goals for your treatment. And even if you do, these goals are likely to change and grow as you move through the process.
However, it’s important to have a general idea of what you want to gain from therapy.
When you understand your goals, it will be easier to find a therapist that matches your needs.
Research Potential Treatment Plans
Therapy is a collaborative journey, and you have a say in exactly what that journey looks like. Before contacting any therapist, research potential treatment plans for your issue or concern.
This step grants you a better understanding of the evidence-based treatment available for your needs. You can also learn potential treatment timelines, and the benefits of group versus individual therapy.
When you start contacting therapists, this research will be valuable.
You can ask specific questions during the outreach phase, and learn exactly what each therapist will have to offer you.
Research The Therapist
It’s important to consider the logistical side when choosing a therapist.
A therapist might have the experience and temperament to suit your needs, but it will never work if you can’t make their office hours. Before contacting a therapist, research their location, their office hours, and their pricing structure.
Prepare Questions
It’s easy to get overwhelmed during the initial consultation with a therapist. You spend some time together having a chat, and when the conversation is over, you suddenly realize you don’t actually know anything more about the practice.
Write down the important questions you want to ask during your consultation.
Some questions to include are:
- Do you have experience dealing with my concern?
- What issues/age groups/treatments do you normally work with?
- What treatments have you found effective dealing with my issue?
- What are your charges for a missed session?
- What hours are available for sessions?
- Do you offer emergency sessions?
- How long do you expect treatment to take?
- What course of action will you take if treatment isn’t working?
If you’re paying through insurance, then make sure to check the therapist accepts your insurance, and how the billing procedure works.
Reflect On Your Instincts
Instinct shouldn’t necessarily be the driving force behind your decision, but these instincts can help you decide if a therapist is the right fit.
Pay attention to how engaged the therapist seems, what they do to help you relax, and how you feel at the thought of seeing them again. As well as the therapist, reflect on how you felt in the space itself.
If you didn’t feel comfortable in the office, for reasons beyond the expected nerves, then the therapist is unlikely to be a good fit.
Keep in mind that choosing a therapist can be overwhelming, and it’s normal to be nervous in this situation. These nerves don’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the therapist.
How the therapist responds to your nerves, however, can be telling.
Don’t Be Disheartened If It Doesn’t Work Out
Having gone through all the logistical work to find a therapist, it can be frustrating when things don’t work out.
It’s normal to find your first choice of therapist just isn’t the right fit, and that shouldn’t stop you from looking again. The good news is, you’ve already done most of the work.
Refer back to your original list of options, and go through it with fresh eyes. Now you have a better understanding of what doesn’t work for you, it will be easier to find what does.
Final Thoughts
It can require patience and perseverance to find the right therapist, but it’s worth it when you start to see the benefits of the treatment.
Be clear about what you want to gain from therapy, and start looking for a therapist with the credentials and attitude to match.
