Finding a therapist doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. 

By following these simple tips, you will find a therapist you feel comfortable with, so you can focus on your path to healing. 

1) Get a referral from someone you trust.

This could be a sibling, parent, friend, neighbor, coworker, or pastor.  Word of mouth can be one of the best ways to find a therapist who has already been vetted through someone you trust.   

2) Pay attention to a therapist’s website.

Is their website copy all about them?  Do they spend a great deal of time telling you every qualification they have under the sun?  Or, does their website instead focus on how they can help YOU?  Ideally, a therapist’s website should instill you with hope that they understand the pain you are in due to your concern areas and can help you heal. 

3) Think about who you typically feel most comfortable talking to about personal issues.

Is it your grandmother? Your best friend? Your spouse?  What traits do you appreciate in that person? Is it easier to talk to a person of a certain gender? Do you feel more comfortable talking to someone older or younger than you?  Do you prefer a “tell it like it is” personality or more of a “warm and fuzzy” type?  Paying attention to who is already in your circle that you feel close to or comfortable talking with can tell you a lot about the type of therapist you would feel at ease with.

4) Understand what a therapist’s theoretical orientation means for you. 

This can feel like the trickiest bit of finding a therapist.  All therapists work under the umbrella of a theoretical orientation.  You may hear the therapist spout that they work from a cognitive-behavioral orientation, psychodynamic, existential, narrative, solution-focused, relational, emotionally focused, attachment-based, and the list goes on. 

What it all boils down to, though, is how they use their therapy style to help YOUR concern areas.  If you ask the therapist what their therapy style is and they say cognitive behavioral, follow up by asking what this means for you as someone dealing with anxiety.  Or if they say they have a psychodynamic approach, how do they use that approach in helping people with depression?  From there, you can begin to get a sense of whether their style jives with what you would feel content with.

5) Look at their licensure and credentials. 

When researching a therapist, you will likely see a series of letters following their name, anything from LPCC, LPC, LMFT, LP, LICSW, or MD.  All these letters can make you dizzy, but this shorthand after a therapist’s name is an abbreviation for the type of licensure they hold in the mental health field. 

Generally, therapists who have licenses including LPCC, LPC, LMFT, or LICSW are those who primarily offer talk therapy.  The licensure LP is reserved for licensed psychologists who often primarily offer psychological testing, such as evaluating if a client has ADHD.  A psychiatrist is going to have a MD and their focus is mostly on medication management, and don’t typically provide talk therapy.

6) It’s okay to interview your therapist first.

Many therapists offer a free initial brief consultation, either via phone or face to face. This can be an excellent way to ask any initial questions you have without having to make a financial commitment to the provider.  Prep beforehand any pertinent questions you have for the therapist and gauge your own reactions in speaking to them.  Trusting your gut in terms of whether you feel this person can understand what you’re dealing with and help you goes a long way.

7) Pay attention to how the therapist reacts and responds to your concern areas. 

If you share a snippet that you’re dealing with postpartum depression and they seem stiff and cold and don’t seem particularly empathetic to your concern area, this may indicate a lack of warmth in their style.  Most of us have an internal feeling within a short time of meeting someone if it is a person we are going to jive with or not.  Trust that intuition.   

8) In the first couple of sessions, does the therapist seem to do most of the talking or do they make space for you to talk?

If you feel like the therapist is dominating the session and not giving you enough of an ability to talk through your concern areas, this may indicate that their style is more directive and solution focused.  If you are alternatively hoping to dive deep into discussion about emotion-heavy topics, you may be better suited to a therapist who takes things more slowly and gives you the time you need to adequately express yourself.

9) Watch out for blatant ethical concerns or boundary crossings.

If the therapist makes any of these more overt ethical no no’s or crosses uncomfortable boundaries, it’s time to find someone else.  For instance, if the therapist takes other phone calls during your session, is not dressed professionally, is consistently late for your sessions, speaks about other clients with you, talks heavily about their own personal life, or (gasp!) dozes off in the middle of your session, it’s time to hit the road and try someone else.

Wellspring Women’s Counseling believes that finding the right fit with a therapist can help you start off on the right foot in therapy.  When you feel comfortable with the person you’re speaking with, making progress and finding healing is much less complicated.  Wellspring Women’s Counseling is here to make your therapy process as smooth as possible.  Schedule a free 30-minute consultation to make sure services are a good fit for you.