Choosing a therapist is a personal process. What works for one person may not work for another. Because of the intimacy of the information being shared, you should not “settle” on someone. Invest the time in finding the right person. Whenever I am deciding on a therapist, I always look at a minimum of three people to give me options. Here are some questions that I ask or factors I consider when deciding.
1) I always request to chat for 10-15 minutes. If the person says no, that is usually a “no” for me. A therapist should be willing to allow you to interview him/her to verify if it is the right fit for both of you.
2) If the person is not responsive, then I will typically take that as a “no.”A therapist should have the time and organizational skills to be responsive to requests.
3) I also look for someone that has a license, and prefer therapists with experience versus those just getting started in private practice. This is not to say that a less-seasoned therapist is not excellent. You need to use your judgment here in determining what is most important for you.
4) I ask a range of questions, such as what is your philosophy / approach to practice? How long do clients tend to work with you? What are your top two to three areas of expertise? Do you have advanced training in any of those areas? What do you view as your strengths and limitations? How did you get into this line of work? Is there any additional information about you or your practice that might be helpful for me to know?
5) If the person does not take my insurance, I ask if they provide a superbill and if they can help with completing it the first time so I can get reimbursed. Of course, contact the insurance company to verify that you will be reimbursed. The therapist should be willing to share the codes with you in advance.
6) Finally, I do search social media for information about the person. This allows me to see if the therapist is a person that I would be interested in working with or not.
