How to find a good therapist

Where are the good therapists hiding and how can I find a good match?

Well, a good place to start is to consider what is important to you. Is location/ commute important? Is insurance coverage important? Is what the room looks like important? Is sense of humor important to you? All of these will help guide you.

Location

Think about how far you are willing to drive or commute. Can you make an appointment during the day, during a lunch break, or does it need to be after school or work? If these are important factors, create a radius in which you are willing to look. Do you have a car, a ride, or will you be taking public transport? If it is too much of a hassle to get to the office, it may impact getting to appointments long term.

Insurance Coverage

If you have insurance and want to use it, make sure the therapist you are meeting with takes your plan. This will allow you to pay a copay or deductible, with the insurance company covering the rest. If you are able to swing more out of pocket costs, look for a provider that can give you “out of network” paperwork. This means you pay the full fee and the insurance company will partially reimburse you . Or if you are fortunate enough that this is not a limiting factor, disregard and look for a therapist that offers self-pay rates.

The Therapy Room

Although aesthetics are important, the feeling you get from the therapist in the room (or via telehealth) and whether they can hold the space with you is more important. The connection may need a few sessions to feel comfortable, but give it time. If you continuously feel uncomfortable with that person, it may be time to “shop around” to see if there would be a better fit for you. All therapists should be understanding of this since not being a good match can negatively impact progress.

Humor

Would you prefer someone that makes jokes and can talk memes with you? Or would you prefer someone who can hold a neutral stance? This is definitely personal preference. A good match for you is not necessarily a good match for everyone. And if you don’t appreciate an occasional joke or a semi-ridiculous metaphor, it’s possible that we wouldn’t be a good match. So let me ask you this, how many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the lightbulb has to want to change…………..

OH and try psychologytoday.com

Other things to consider: Degree, some therapists are social workers, mental health counselors, psychologists. No matter the degree, lots of experience is required for licensure. A personality match is often times more important than actual letters after a name. Photo, don’t look for a therapist based on their headshot like you swipe on an app. But I do recommend not seeing a therapist that has a risqué or unprofessional picture. This will also give you an opportunity to consider if there is a particular gender you would feel more comfortable talking to.

But how do I find them?

Like I said, try psychologytoday.com, but other places to start are your insurance website, primary care doctor, or right here. Well, on the other side of the computer, but you can reach out to me and see if I have any openings at the moment. So, in short, we are everywhere (good therapists) and most of us are not trying to hide, but it might take some googling and persistence to find one with an opening.

Doc Hotz