Therapy 101: How to Find a Therapist

There are a lot of things to consider when you decide to go to therapy. But the very first question you need to ask yourself before you start is:

“Why should I go to therapy?”

There are a lot of ways someone can answer this question but I usually answer it with another question: Why do you go to the doctor? And there are three major buckets of reasoning for both.

1) You don’t feel right

You want to see a professional to better understand what is going on in your body. If there is something going on, you will be in the right place to gain insight on how you should address it.

2) Something happened to you

This can range from a life event, to a change in perspective. A trauma or negative life event deserves the same attention as a serious injury. If you don’t treat it, you are going to be in more pain and require a lot more work to resolve the issue. Similarly, a life transition or positive life event might also need to be processed. Having a child, graduating college, and getting a new job are all great moments but they do have residual effects that could end up negatively affecting you.

3) Preventative Care

A lot times, we just need a check up to make sure there isn’t something we’re missing or that we’re on the right track. Even if we don’t clock our changes, we need to make sure we’re giving ourselves a chance to resolve issues before they become larger and more invasive. We also may want to increase our self-awareness. Learning about yourself, your behaviors, your limits, and your tendencies will help you navigate situations in a more healthy way.

Knowing “why” will help you find the “who”. Once you’ve answered that question, then you can ask your original question:

“How do I find a therapist?”

The short answer?

• It depends

• There’s levels to it

• Trial and Error

The long answer? There are 6 major factors you want to consider:

1) Credentials

Therapist is a broad umbrella term for mental health professionals. There are many categories but here is a brief breakdown on the credentials you may see in your search:

2) Therapeutic Approach

Therapeutic approaches are various lenses that therapists use to navigate you through reflection, processing, and resolving issues. Honestly this is a dense topic to summarize (I’ll break it down in another post) but make sure that is a question you ask someone you are considering to be your therapist.

3) Goal of Therapy

If you have your “why” then that will inform your goal of therapy. Everybody goes at their own pace. Some people are in therapy for years, while others are only there months. Some people stop and go back later. It should be about what you need in this life moment. Once you’ve gotten to the state of awareness that you and/or your therapist believe is healthy for you, you should go less or stop altogether. Goal of therapy is to not need therapy anymore.

4) Identities

Therapy should be a place where you feel safe and have the ability to be vulnerable. Sometimes the identity of your therapist will affect that. Sometimes it won’t. Know your preference, but understand that just because someone identifies as your preference doesn’t mean they identify with your all your ideologies or make you actually feel comfortable.

5) Location

Ethically and legally speaking, therapists should only practice in the states they are licensed to practice in. Now that interacting in a virtual space has become our new normal, this has put the ethics of transcending state lines and licensing parameters in the forefront of discussions. But, best practice is to find someone who has a practice or license in your state. 

6) Budget/Cost

Unfortunately, quality mental health is not as accessible as it should be. While mental health costs can range, it’s important to know how much you are able to spend and at what frequency you can spend that amount. 

Insurance has varying levels of coverage for mental health. The best way to know if your insurance covers it is to 1) look up your benefits 2)call your HR representative or 3) call the company directly. 

Be aware that a lot of therapists with private practices often don’t take insurance but they do have what they call a sliding scale. Sliding scale is essentially a strategy therapists use to try to meet people where they are at financially. What each individual practice or therapist’s scale may look like varies, but be ready with a number when you inquire about the option.

Once you have reflected on these factors, then you need to actively search for your ideal therapist with these general parameters.

“Where do I find therapists?”

You can find therapists in a variety of ways:

• Recommendations - Your general practitioner should be able to point you in the direction of therapists in your area. Reaching out to friends and family are also good places to start in the process.

• Insurance company coverage directory - Contact your insurance company and ask for recommended practices and therapists to contact.

• College Counseling Center - The therapists in the center may be of assistance or they will be able to provide you with a list of resources and other therapists to seek out. In addition to the counseling center, different cultural centers on campus may have lists of their own. Definitely make sure to reach out to them as they can tend to have more affirming and affordable options.

• Therapist Directories - There are all different types of therapist directories out there. Take a look at the growing resource list here at A Little Mental!

Hopefully this helped you feel a little better about the process for finding a therapist. Check out future posts to learn more about topics around therapy and mental health in general.

Thanks for getting A Little Mental with me!