How Do I Find a Therapist?

Maybe you’ve been struggling for a while, maybe your relationships aren’t where you want them to be, maybe it has been suggested to you a number of times that you might need to talk to a therapist. Okay, you’re hearing it, maybe you do need to seek out therapy, but how? How do you actually find a therapist?

There are a number of things to consider when you’re looking for a therapist. Starting before you ever make an appointment, consider what kind of therapist you’re looking for. Do you want someone who has a niche specialization? Do you feel especially drawn to a model that you’ve heard of in your own pursuits and want to experience that? Are you willing to pay out of pocket or do you need your sessions to be covered by insurance knowing that there may be more limitations on the number of sessions you’re able to have? Are you able to meet someone in their office or do you need or prefer a teletherapy situation? If you’re coming as a couple, have you already spoken to your partner about going to therapy?

While you don’t need to have firm answers to all of these, they are all things to consider before ever making an appointment with a specific therapist or practice.

Once you do have some answers or an inkling about those above considerations, now is your time to gather your research.

1.       Ask people for recommendations! While we still have a long way to go to de-stigmatize therapy and mental health care, more people than you realize either are currently in therapy or have at some point in their life been in therapy. See who they had positive experiences with!

2.       If you need or prefer your sessions to be paid by insurance go on your provider’s website. Oftentimes, the same way they have listings for every other medical specialization, they will list the therapists that are paneled with them in your area.

3.       PsychologyToday.com This is probably the largest directory of therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers in the country (and maybe the world). You can narrow your search by your location, particular presenting issues (relationship, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc), insurance, price, and about a million (exaggeration) other search criteria to find a place to start gathering some possibilities. A very good thing about psychology today is that it also allows you the opportunity to read through a therapist’s bio and get an initial feel for their personality and style.

4.       AAMFT Therapist Locator. This is especially huge for those who are seeking relationship, premarital, marriage, or family therapy. STOP GOING TO PROVIDERS WHO ARE NOT TRAINED IN RELATIONAL THERAPY. While you can certainly find LMFTs in any of the above ways, the AAMFT therapist locator is especially designed to help you find those who are relational therapists. Like psychology today, you can filter by your location.

5.       Ask your doctor. Medical doctors of almost every specialization and therapists have a very special connection. We find that many times issues better treated by therapists come up during routine (or not so routine) medical visits. For example, an ob/gyn is likely the first person to notice a woman experiencing postpartum depression. As such, therapists and doctors are often reciprocal referral sources for one another.

“Okay” you’re telling me, “I have a bunch of names that feel like possibilities. Now what?”

Now what, indeed. Now you start reaching either by phone or by email is most common . Get information around who is taking new clients, what is the pricing like, do they feel like they could be a good fit for the issue you’re presenting with, do they offer a consult either by phone or in person to help you decide if you’d be a good fit?

The answers to these questions should help you narrow down your search even more. At this point, from your small list (and maybe you narrowed down to just one!), it’s time to make an appointment. Schedule a first appointment and see how you feel. If you go, and it feels right, make a second appointment. If you go and it doesn’t feel right don’t feel stuck! Find the right therapist is, in many ways, like dating, so go on another “first session date” with another therapist. We will get into how you know a therapist is “right” for you in another post. And, if you’re in the New York City metro area and are interested in adding me to your therapist search, feel free to contact me by clicking the “get in touch” button below. Best of luck in your search!