How to Find the Right Therapist for You
You’ve heard about the life-changing effects of therapy, your friends have been starting their sentences with “my therapist says…,” and you’re feeling ready to take the plunge into your own therapeutic journey. Whether it’s to work through past trauma, improve your relationships, or develop tools for your overall mental health, you take that first step towards finding your own therapist. But when you google “therapist near me,” you find yourself with about 768,000,000 results. Where do you go from here?!
The search to find the right therapist can be daunting, especially if you live in a city where the market is oversaturated. Here are some tips and tricks to weeding through the high volume of results and finding your best therapeutic fit.
Resources
Psychology Today
Psychology Today is a directory for therapists, psychiatrists, and therapy/support groups near you. Type in your zip code, and you’ll be provided with a list of therapists, their photos, and a brief bio. While Psychology Today may not help the feeling of having too many choices, it can help you narrow down which therapists are better fits for you than others, since you can quickly scan bios, see credentials and areas of expertise, and sometimes view a 15-second video.
ZocDoc
ZocDoc is similar to Psychology Today, in that you put in your information and a repertoire of therapists will come up - but ZocDoc may be more helpful if you’re looking for a clinician who is in-network with your insurance. ZocDoc asks for your insurance information right off the bat, so if you’re someone whose financial situation requires in-network therapy, you will only be presented with clinicians who take your insurance. A word of caution - these options may be limited!
Word-of-Mouth Referrals
One of the most efficient ways to find a therapist is by asking people in your circle who their therapists are, and if they recommend them for you. This may pose some problems depending on how close you are to the person recommending the therapist, though. For example, a therapist cannot ethically work with parent/child duos, couples, siblings, or sometimes even best friends in an individual manner due to the conflicts of interest that might arise (family and couples therapy is a different story). An easy way to still receive a referral is by seeing if said therapist has other therapists in their network to refer you to. In addition, if the therapist works at a group practice (meaning multiple therapists work under one overhead), you can be referred to the overall practice and matched with a different therapist through the intake process.
Through your Primary Care Provider
Your primary care provider (PCP) likely knows of mental health resources or has ongoing relationships with clinicians they can refer you to. Next time you go in for a check-up, or if you have a spare moment to give the office a call, ask if they have a list of mental health professionals to send your way. Be sure to make it clear you’re looking for a therapist, which is different from a psychiatrist!
Some questions that may arise during your search
What is in-network versus out-of-network?
An in-network clinician is someone who takes your insurance directly. An out-of-network clinician does not directly take your insurance, meaning you will need to pay for each session out-of-pocket. Your insurance plan may have out-of-network benefits, though, which means they’ll pay you back for a percentage of these sessions. So while you’re paying your therapist’s out-of-pocket rate, your therapist may send you a superbill (the healthcare term for an itemized receipt) to send to your insurance, or they may have a system where they submit your insurance claims on your behalf. If your financial situation allows you to pay for each session out-of-pocket, contact your insurance company to see if you’re eligible for out-of-network benefits so you can get some of that money back.
What do all the letters mean?
PhD, PsyD, LMHC, LCSW, CCTP, wtf?!
These letters generally signal the therapist’s graduate program. PhD and PsyD therapists have completed doctoral programs, and hold the protected title of psychologists, whereas LMHCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs are masters-level therapists (although these clinicians can also go on to get their doctorates, and hold both PhD/PsyD and LMHC/LCSW/LMFT). In New York, the most common credentials you’ll see are PhD, PsyD, LMHC, LCSW and LMFT. You may also see LMSW, MHC-LP, and MFT-LP/AMFT, which are masters-level clinicians in training, working under the supervision of a licensed professional.
Other letter combinations that go after the type of license (e.g, CCTP, BCN, etc.) signify certificates or additional credentials the clinician holds. These are generally optional programs a therapist signs up for post-grad to specialize or increase their expertise in a certain area.
Does the type of license my therapist holds matter?
It depends. Some people may only want to see a psychologist. Others may have financial constraints that require them to see a clinician working under supervision, who tends to be less expensive than an independently-licensed therapist. If you don’t care about experience level, you may care about the type of training the therapist received. The biggest difference between LCSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs is the theoretical framework of the graduate program. LCSWs are trained in social work, and have a more extensive training in ecological frameworks. LMHCs have extensive training in individual psychotherapy, whereas LMFTs are trained from a couples and family-systems lens. Depending on the type of therapy you’re looking for, this may matter to you. Speaking directly with the therapist you’re thinking of matching up with and asking them about their areas of expertise will provide you with the best info as to whether they’re a match, regardless of their graduate program.
You’ve found someone who seems like a good fit, and you’ve scheduled your 15-minute consultation. What should you ask during this call?
What’s your theoretical orientation?
Are you looking for specific coping skills, insight into how your past influences your present, or a little bit of both? Are you coming to therapy for a specific disorder? Finding out if the therapist’s theoretical orientation, or the theory that informs their work, matches what you’re looking for is critical to determining whether they’re a good fit for you. Individuals looking for specific coping skills may fare better with a clinician who practices from a cognitive-behavioral lens, such as CBT, ACT, or DBT. Someone seeking more insight-oriented work may prefer a psychodynamically-oriented therapist. Many therapists integrate different frameworks, and may be able to provide specific tools as well as the insight-oriented work often seen in both types of therapy. If you have a specific disorder you’re seeking treatment for, you may want to do some research on the most effective treatment modality for your particular disorder. For example, extensive research suggests that DBT is one of the most effective modalities for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Do you have experience with what I’m coming in for?
This may be one of the most important questions to ask when you’re looking for a therapist. Therapy is ultimately meant to help treat specific mental health disorders and promote change, and a therapist who has never worked with your presenting concern has an ethical duty to refer you to a clinician who does have this experience.
What are your rates?
Ask this right off the bat to avoid any surprises. If they take insurance, the rates may be contingent on your benefits. If they don’t take insurance, see if they’ll submit the claims on your behalf, or if they’ll send you a superbill for reimbursement if your plan offers out-of-network benefits.
What’s your availability?
This one may seem obvious, but make sure your availability matches with the therapist’s. For example, if your only availability is after 6pm, and the therapist doesn’t take any appointments later than 5pm, you’ll want to keep your search going.
The Most Important Note
Many therapists offer free 15-minute consultations where you can discuss your presenting concern, ask the questions that will help you make a decision, and give you a feel for this therapist. As you’re doing these consultations, ask yourself, can I see myself developing a strong professional relationship with this therapist? Is this somebody I see myself building trust with and opening up to? Do they seem like someone who will understand what I’m feeling, and can help me reach my goals? Did this consultation feel natural? If you answered no to these questions, it could be useful to keep searching. Studies have shown that education-level (i.e., masters versus doctoral-level therapist) and theoretical orientation have a lesser impact on outcome than the therapeutic alliance. In other words, your relationship with your therapist is a greater predictor of your outcome in treatment than any other factor.