How to find a therapist
From LifePortal Content Wiki
So you'd like to talk to someone?
Finding a therapist
The best way to get a good therapist is to get a good recommendation from someone you know. If you belong to an HMO for health insurance, they may have therapists you can see and have those visits covered under your plan. You can call your insurance company to find out if you are eligible and how you can go about getting in to see someone. If you are paying cash, you can do many things to find a therapist suited for you:
- Browse the yellow pages
- Ask for referrals from your school or local health center
- Use some of the internet resources below to connect you to someone who deals with the kinds of issues you feel you have
Choosing a therapist
You want to find a therapist who has experience in supporting people with issues similar to yours. Make a list of a few and call them each, asking a few questions, like:
- What is your background?
- Do you have any experience supporting people with XYZ issues?
- What methods of therapy do you use? Why?
- What kinds of goals do you help create with your client?
(Think of this one this way: Where do you want to be when you are done with therapy? What will you have hoped to accomplish? The answer to this will tell you if your ideas about that match up)
- What is your availability?
- How long are your sessions?
- What are your rates?
- Do you take XYZ insurance?
- Where are you located?
Any therapist worth being paid will see the value in having this short conversation with you. If they don't, you don't have to waste any more of your time.
The bottom line of all of this is simple: do you feel comfortable with this person? Schedule a session with the person you liked best and see how it goes.
