When we shop for a car or a house, we tend to do a lot of research before we actually make the purchase. For such a significant investment we naturally want to make sure we are making the right choice. I’m always surprised when people don’t take this same approach to finding a therapist. The work you do with a therapist is also a considerable investment; after all, you are putting in a large amount of time and trust into this stranger in hopes that he or she can help you work through life’s challenges.
Usually when I get a phone call from a potential client they ask me how much I charge or if I take their particular insurance. If my price isn’t within their budget or I don’t take their insurance, this is the point where sometimes our conversation ends. I get it; price is important, but this shouldn’t be the only determining factor. Think about it; just because a car is within your price range, will it really provide you with the performance that you desire? Research has shown that the quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client, labeled the “therapeutic alliance”, is a good predictor for determining positive outcomes in treatment. The following are some ideas on where to start looking and what to consider when searching for a therapist.
Asking a trusted friend or family member is a good way to begin your search for a good therapist. If they have been in therapy themselves and liked their therapist, you’ve already narrowed down your search significantly. If your friend or family member is someone who’s opinion you value, more than likely you’ll have the same positive experience with their therapist.
If none of your friends or family members have been to therapy (or are willing to admit that they’ve seen a therapist), you can always do an online search. One of the easiest places to begin is going to Psychology Today; it’s like the match.com for therapists- your perfect match is just a click away! These profiles give you a little bit more information about each therapist, and can also provide you links to that therapist’s business website. If you’re lucky, you may even find articles they have written, or other works online they may have been a part of. This gives you even more information regarding their knowledge base and how approachable they may be as a person.
You can also call your insurance company directly and ask for a list of therapists that take your insurance. Remember to do a little bit of research on the names you receive. Most therapists nowadays have websites. Read a little bit about more about them so you can again, get a feel on their style of therapy and if they seem approachable.
Now that you’ve done a little background work on this person, it’s a good idea to prepare some questions you may have before you make contact with this therapist. Remember, you are the consumer and you want to make sure you will be getting what you pay for. Sometimes when I talk to new, potential clients over the phone, I encourage them to ask me questions. I want clients to make sure they feel comfortable with me, have a general understanding of what to expect when they work with me, as well as my therapeutic approach. Often, they are at a loss for questions, mainly because they’ve never been to therapy before and don’t know what questions to ask. The following are some ideas of what to look for.
- Ask the therapist if they are licensed. The words “therapist” and “counselor” get thrown around loosely nowadays. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had conversations with people who tell me they are a therapist or a counselor, so naturally I enjoy engaging in discussions about theory or treatment modalities. These conversations have been short lived because these “non-licensed therapists” generally don’t know what I’m talking about. To go even further, they’ve clarified that actually they work at a mental health agency or they are hairstylists (because talking about problems with a stylist is close enough to having a therapist, right? Excuse my sarcasm.)
- You may also want to ask this therapist what school they went to, making sure it is an accredited school. This may not have much meaning to you, but there is some comfort in knowing that your therapist came from an accredited school which requires rigorous training versus obtaining a certificate of completion from a day-long seminar.
- Something to consider is the therapist’s approach to therapy, also known as “theoretical orientation”- yea, I’m getting clinical on you, but this is important because this may be a determining factor on your comfort level when working with them. Examples of this would be things like psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, etc. Still don’t know what any of this means? Ask the therapist how this would be used when working with you. No orientation is better than the other, but it’s important because you want to make sure you are comfortable with how sessions will be run. I am trained in EMDR therapy and some clients don’t like this approach because it can sometimes feel unstructured, it’s primarily experiential, and there is minimal talking in sessions.
- Ask the therapist more about how they would work with your particular issue. The therapist may not be able to give you a detailed approach to your challenge during this first phone call, but this is just a way to start a dialogue between the two of you. Listen to how they answer this question and pay attention to how you are reacting to this therapist’s response. Do you feel comfortable with what this therapist is saying? Do you feel heard and understood by this therapist?
These steps are just a few ways to narrow down your search for a therapist. Yes, this may seem like a lot to consider just for finding a good therapist, but just like a good car, your time and effort spent on research will benefit you down the line. A large investment such as this requires a little bit of legwork in the beginning for you to have a more positive outcome in the end. Good luck in your search!