8 Tips For Finding a Therapist
You’re struggling and finally feel courageous enough to seek out support, only to find that you now have to sort through and read pages upon pages of different therapist’s bios to see who you might feel comfortable with. While having accessibility to read the many different bios of therapists in your area is helpful, it can also feel like a daunting task. You may be asking yourself, “where do I even begin? what do I look for? how do I know if they are a good fit?”. These are all common questions when searching for a therapist.
The search for a therapist is unlike any other search for a medical provider because of the intimate therapeutic relationship that is built between a therapist and client. You want to feel comfortable with this person because there is deep vulnerability within this space. So, it’s important to consider your personal fit with a therapist.
Unfortunately, one of the most common barriers to starting therapy is starting the search for a therapist, but I’m hoping to provide you with some pointers to think about when searching for a therapist and to help to make it less of a daunting and overwhelming task, and to feel that you are making the right choice for you.
Review what your needs are, why you are seeking therapy at this time, and your goals for therapy. There are many reasons people seek out therapy. It’s helpful to get specific about what you want to get out of therapy and what kind of therapeutic experience would be helpful for you. Think about what is it you are struggling with and what your current needs are. It’s okay to not fully know what your goals are or how you might envision this process, because you just might not be feeling good or like yourself and it is something that you can talk more about with your therapist as you go. If you are able to get more specific, it can help narrow your search to finding therapists that best match your goals.
Assess your budget for therapy. Therapy is an investment in yourself. Determine how much you are willing to invest in this process. Something that may help is determining how often you want to attend therapy. I typically tell my clients starting weekly is helpful to build the therapeutic relationship and to get a good start in the therapeutic process, and then moving to biweekly once we have a good base for starting our work together. But, you can always start biweekly and then as time goes and you feel you are progressing forward you can move to monthly. Knowing this will help give you a good understanding of what your monthly cost for therapy would be. We then have to think about either utilizing your insurance or paying out-of-pocket. Many therapists accept a range of insurance’s and this is one option to cut down costs of therapy. But, with that said, know that insurance can have barriers to your treatment and experience, such as determining the length of treatment, what kind of treatment is needed, and the need for a diagnosis on your medical record. Some advantages of out-of-pocket therapy is that you do not need a diagnosis on record and that you and your therapist can determine the length and style of treatment to meet your various needs and goals.
Determine your availability. Some questions to ask yourself is if you are available to come during the day or if you need evening availability. Determine what your schedule allows for, but also when a good time to dive into this work is for you. Maybe you know that going back to work after a session isn’t helpful for you, or maybe after a long day the last thing you have energy for is sitting in a session. As you go navigate the therapy process, this is something you can always change and figure out what feels best for you, but determining your availability is important, as some therapists have limited time availability. Look at their hours and what aligns best with you and your availability.
Does in-person or virtual therapy matter to you? Since the pandemic, a lot of therapists have moved to only providing virtual therapy. Virtual therapy has its benefits of convenience and flexibility. Life can get busy and to have the accessibility to do it from the comfort of your own home is helpful for some. In-person therapy also has it’s advantages, such as, providing you with a space outside of your normal routine. It can get you out of your normal space and into a different setting that is specifically for therapy. Doing in-person therapy also allows for you to take home tangible worksheets or other materials (if you don’t have a printer), and gives you the face-to-face contact and the energy of being in the room with your therapist. This is personal to you, and finding a therapist that offers both can be helpful if you want to explore your prefer.
Understand the different credentials. There are a lot of different credentials a therapist might have and each can mean something a little different. Some of the differentiating factors are the type of schooling, specialty, or length of education a therapist may have. Common credentials include LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), MFT (Marriage & Family Therapy), PsyD (Doctor of Psychology), or PhD (Psychologist). An MFT’s is a good example of a specialization in a specific topic or concern. LPC’s and LCSW’s can be more general and broad in their training and hold Master’s Level degrees. PsyD’s and PhD doctorate level clinicians can provide things like assessments and testing that other degrees may not. Please be aware that every state is different in what credentials may mean and what they are able to provide to you and am only basing this information on Wisconsin’s credentials.
Looks for any specialties or key words that speak to you. When you are reading therapists bios, note the ones that stand out to you the most. Directories such as psychologytoday.com are useful for learning about different therapists in your area. They allow you to get specific in your search by typing in a specific concern and/or providing you with a list of therapists that take your insurance. When reading through these bios, note how you feel when reading them. Maybe something they wrote out or said resonated with you. Maybe there was something specific pertaining to your struggles or concerns that fit your needs. Some examples may be: anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma, eating disorders, unhealthy relationships, life transitions, collaboration, encouraging, etc. Take note of how they may approach therapy and what they bring into the therapy space. Maybe their approach to therapy is more direct and structured (utilizing specific treatment modalities such as CBT, DBT, or EMDR) or they provide you with an individualized plan of treatment based on your needs. By reading these bios you can get a good sense of who they are as a therapist and what their focus and values are within the space.
Schedule a few consultations. Once you have narrowed down a few bios of therapists that caught your attention and align with you, schedule consultations with them. Most therapist provide free consults. These consultations are helpful to notice how you feel talking with them and for you to ask any questions you might have for them. This initial contact can help you decide on which therapist you feel most comfortable moving forward with. This helps bridge the gap between the initial email exchange and the first session. It can ease the nervousness and give you an idea of what therapy would look like with them moving forward.
Give it time. It takes time to build the therapeutic relationship and to feel comfortable with someone new. Consider engaging in therapy with the therapist you pick for 5 or more sessions to really give it the time you need to get comfortable and establish the ground work. Unfortunately, the therapist you end up moving forward with still might not be the best fit. And I don’t say that to discourage you, I say that so you know that it is very common for it to take some time finding a therapist you jive with and who is a good fit for you. But, when you find the therapist that is a great fit, it is the most rewarding work and a special relationship that you will share between you and your therapist.
I hope this information will help you navigate finding a therapist and ease some of the nerves. Best of luck on your search! I’m cheering you on!
