How-To Find a Therapist
So you are interested in seeing what it would be like to have a therapist. Great! Congrats on getting to this step. It’s actually a pretty big moment of awareness. Perhaps at this point you are now totally overwhelmed because there are a LOT of options and you have no clue where to start. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you navigate.
Depending on your urgency level, it might make sense to ask a trusted friend to help you with some of these steps. Please, please email me if you want a “therapist sherpa.” It would be an honor to sit in the gray area with you. Currently the demand is much much greater than the supply right now so don’t wait until you’re in crisis if you are able.
If you are in a stable place right now and want to find someone, then great! Let’s gather some info and find you a good fit! It’s important to remember that therapists are people too. It might take some time to find, meet, and collaborate with someone who “gets” you. This takes some time. Think about making a friend, or dating; it’s not going to happen overnight. That being said, you are the expert on YOU. Use your voice to be an advocate for yourself. Keep in mind that you are in the driver's seat and the goal of therapy is to help you.
Identify what you want to do in therapy
Ex. I want to verbally process; I want help with an issue I’m experiencing; I want help changing my behavior; I want to feel happy again. I don’t know but I know I need more support than I have currently.
Identify the method you want to achieve your goals in therapy
This is not required, but if you want to explore all the theories out there and which one syncs with who you are, I recommend taking this self assessment. P.S. you might want to take this again after therapy to see if any of your outlooks have changed. We are always changing, so our view of the world and what we need will change too. (This assessment takes about 20 minutes to complete). Identify what expertise and experience would be most helpful to you from your therapist
Ex: I’d like someone experienced in grief, trauma, relationships, addiction, etc. I’d like someone who will make room and space for my faith beliefs. I’d like someone who has experience with LGBTQ clients. I’d like someone who can keep me accountable. I’d like someone to give me homework.
Identify the frequency you’d like to meet with a therapist and any expectations you have about timing and commitment (this can always change, but knowing it is good to mention)
I’d like to meet weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or indefinitely.
I’d like to meet to resolve an issue then reschedule if needed once the problem resolves.
I’d like to find a solution as quickly as possible to my current problem, then look at other maintenance timelines later.
Now that you know what you want. Let’s start reaching out to potential providers. This is the hardest part in my opinion, which is why having a friend or “therapist sherpa” may be helpful. Ask them to help you create a list of people to call. If needed, your sherpa could make some preliminary phone calls for you to find out a therapist's availability. Remember, YOU can do this. You are in the driver’s seat.
I like to use Psychology Today and OpenPath Psychotherapy Collective as search engines. You can also just google some of the things you determined in the beginning about what you are looking for. Insurance, location, remote or in-person as well as other details can be included in your search.
Remember that this process does take time. Scheduling, meeting people, learning their style of communication etc, takes at least 2-3 sessions. Remember to give feedback about what you want. “I want to focus on this issue, I do not want to discuss this right now. I need support and ideas on how to cope between our sessions with [this symptom]. What can you recommend?” This will let your therapist know what you need and whether or not they can provide the support you desire. They do want to help you, and if they can’t, they are connected to other referrals and resources. Know that if they are not a fit, they can aid you in this process. You can always turn back to your list of therapists you made at the beginning of the process and try another one.
This may feel daunting, thinking about the possibility of investing time and money into finding a therapist. But you are worth it. The process is a part of your growth. You will learn what you want and don’t want while finding that great match. You will learn how to advocate for yourself and use your voice in new situations. You can do this. We are rooting you on!