Okay, so you decided you are ready to start your journey on healing. You bravely search therapist in your area….and find page after page full of smiling, friendly looking enough therapists to pick from. Now what?
Searching through 100 therapists is overwhelming. In efforts to make your hunt easier to navigate, I have listed my top five suggestions.
Tip one: ask your friends
Stop searching in Google for a second and see if your loved ones are seeing a therapist.
Wait, stop searching for a minute and ask your friends. Ask the people you love and trust if they are familiar with any therapists. Odds are, someone connected to you is seeing a therapist. There is no shame in seeing one yourself, so don’t let the fear make you miss out on a great referral to someone who may be great.
Tip two: Is there a website?
Does therapist have a website?
Websites are a common thing, but not all therapists have one. Think about whether this is important to you. Do you mind calling and asking for all the information you may need (insurances, rates, hours, etc.). Personally, this would be a deal breaker for me. I want to be able to go to a website and start to gather the information I need. Things that are hits would be: frequently asked questions-big props if I don’t even have to ask any questions about the routine stuff. Can I schedule session online? Another thing that may not matter to you, but sure is nice when it is an option. I don’t know about you, but I do a lot of soul searching during the middle of the night, so if I can schedule session at 3 am, I’m sold. Blogs are another nice thing to look into. This will provide therapist’s “voice” and areas of expertise.
Tip three: phone consultation
Does the therapist offer a free phone consultation?
Look for a therapist who offers these free phone consultations. It will allow you the opportunity to actually hear her voice and give insight on how she approaches client care. Does she answer phone when you call? If she doesn’t, does she call back in a reasonable time frame? Is her voice welcoming and patient? When speaking, do you feel like you could become comfortable talking to this person? You can glean a lot out of a 15 minute conversation with someone.
tip four: don’t get too caught up in their credentials
L.MSW; L.C.S.W; L.M.F.T; L.P.C?
Don’t become too overwhelmed by their licensing when looking for therapist (unless you plan on paying with insurance. Then check to see what is covered). Odds are, most have a solid background with a lot of similarities. Research shows that the number one indicator of effective therapy is the therapeutic relationship; not the theoretical approach utilized. So rather than spending time attempting to decipher their educational journey, see if you could even be comfortable with them.
tip five: Don’t judge first session
First session most likely will not be an indicator of how therapy will go
The intake session is not a routine therapy session. This session is set aside to complete paperwork and a thorough assessment. You probably will not even receive any therapy. Do not let this session necessarily determine that therapy is a waste of time or the therapist is not any good. I mean, if your gut says the therapist is not a good fit, listen. Otherwise, complete the required paperwork, answer all the questions, and schedule a session for the following week to really start to dive in. After the next few sessions, you will really start to feel whether this is the therapist for you.
I really hope that this was helpful for narrowing down your list of therapist! Feel free to reach out with your thoughts as you continue your healing journey <3