How to Find a Therapist: A Simple Guide to Getting the Help You Deserve
Clinically reviewed by: Camille Mack, LMFT
Written by: Casey Clark
If you're reading this, then it's safe to say you're in the process of seeking out therapy. It takes a great deal of courage to accept that you may need help and even more to figure out how to find a therapist — it's no easy feat. That said, you may have perused through lists of providers on Google and have become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of therapists that are out there and that's completely normal.
With that in mind, finding a therapist that is a good match for you is important and it can take some time. The first therapist you book a session with might not be the right fit and that's okay. You may also find that you get along well with one therapist but they don't specialize in the treatment modality that's appropriate for your needs or perhaps you realize you want to see someone your own age or a little older — there's a bunch of factors that can come into play when finding the right therapist.
Ahead, we created a guide on what to look for in a potential therapist and how to find a therapist that meets your needs.
4 Simple Steps to Find the Best Therapist for You
We've broken down the process of how to find a therapist into four steps that will hopefully make it easier for you to find one that's a good fit.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
First off, when it comes to finding a therapist, it's important to determine what your needs and goals are for treatment. Are you seeking out therapy to help treat anxiety triggers and depressive symptoms, manage OCD symptoms, work through grief and loss? Cope with workplace stress? Navigate relationships?
Regardless of the reason, finding a therapist that specializes in what you're looking to address is important. Most therapists have an understanding of common mental health issues, however, you'll probably want to see one that has expertise in the areas you're mainly looking to cover.
Alongside looking at areas of expertise, you'll want to do a little bit of research on the therapeutic modalities they specialize in.
In the therapy world, there are a few common therapeutic approaches that therapists use:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
Psychodynamic, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)Trauma-informed therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Here's a brief summary of a few of the different modalities:
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people work through the different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that might be hindering them from living a full life. This usually looks like addressing negative thought patterns and behaviors that are more problematic than helpful and looking to replace them with healthier ones.
Dialectical behavioral therapy is used to help individuals who have trouble managing and regulating their emotions. It's also used to help teach individuals the skills necessary to self regulate and engage in more effective interpersonal communication.
EMDR works on processing and desensitizing memories, feelings, and thoughts related to trauma. It's been shown to reduce symptoms and has been effective in treating patients with PTSD. This is a more trauma-informed therapy approach as it takes into account the impact that trauma has on the body and mind.
Psychodynamic therapy focuses more on the past and one's unconscious thoughts in an effort to give them a deeper understanding into their own thoughts and beliefs.
Acceptance and commitment therapy works to have an individual accept difficult thoughts and feelings while simultaneously giving them the motivation needed to engage in actions in alignment with their values.
Aside from treatment modalities and specialties, you'll also want to take into consideration the therapist themselves. Do you want a therapist of a specific gender? Age? Faith? Background?
All of these factors should be taken into consideration when finding a therapist as they may have an impact on the overall therapeutic relationship.
Last but not least, you need to take into consideration whether you want to do online therapy vs in person therapy. For some people, the in person connection is important and can enhance the therapeutic relationship while for others they prefer to do therapy from the comfort of their own home.
Step 2: Explore Your Options
When it comes to finding the right therapist, there are a number of places you can look.
For starters, if you have insurance, then you may want to look through an insurance directory. This will usually show you a list of providers that are in-network and in your area. Remember, that you can only see a therapist who is licensed in the state you are living in during the time of treatment.
You can also ask your primary care doctor for in-network referrals to therapists which can be helpful.
Aside from an insurance directory, many online platforms have their own internal directory filled with therapists that span different locations, specialties, credentials and licenses, backgrounds and more. There may also be a box to tick off to indicate whether you're interested in online therapy vs in person therapy. Not all therapists offer both options so you'll want to keep that in mind as you look.
Most often, you'll want to look for a therapist who is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) as they are trained to assess, diagnose and treat various mental health conditions. If you're looking to address more family and relationship concerns, then a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) may be more up your alley. You may also find one is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) or licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) which means they are able to diagnose and treat mental health conditions but don't have as much training on the social side compared to a social worker.
Once you've found a few therapists you like, then you'll want to weigh the pros and cons to help narrow down your decision.
Some factors to take into account include whether or not they accept insurance or are private pay, if they do telehealth or traditional in-person appointments and if they are licensed in your state. If having a therapist who is covered by your insurance is important to you, then you might want to go down that route. If you don't mind paying out of pocket, then a self-pay clinician may be a better fit.
You'll also want to look at what their availability looks like because some therapists might have a slot open tomorrow while others might not have an appointment time open for two months. Some websites will have it noted whether a therapist is currently accepting or not working with new clients so you'll want to keep an eye out for that as you look.
Step 3: Vet & Evaluate Therapists
With so many therapists out there, you want to make sure you are vetting them appropriately.
For starters, you want to make sure they are licensed. This is usually indicated next to their name or posted on their website. You can also do a quick Google search to verify they are licensed in your state and what title they have.
If the credentials aren't easily seen or posted at all, then that is a red flag and is a sign to look in a different direction.
Next, you'll want to look at reviews. Not every therapist will have reviews online, but on some platforms people will write about their experiences with a clinician. If people have left reviews saying the therapist is warm, empathetic and knowledgeable, then those are good signs. At the end of the day, you want a therapist who is going to be there to listen without judgment, support you and challenge you at times to be the best version of yourself. If multiple reviews say the therapist spends the entire session talking about themselves, makes judgmental remarks, or are constantly late to session, those are red flags and you may want to find a different therapist.
Many therapists these days offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can talk with them to ask any questions you might have and they can help you determine whether or not it's a good fit. Think of these calls as a test-drive — you can get a feel for how the therapist is and whether or not you'd like to book a first session.
During this consultation call, it's your time to ask them a few questions to see if it sounds like it could be a good fit. Here are some questions to ask a therapist before starting:
What modality do you specialize in?
What are your areas of expertise?
Do you offer a superbill for out of network reimbursement?
How long are your sessions?
How long are your clients typically in treatment?
If you reach out to a therapist to inquire about the consultation or setting up an initial appointment and they don't respond, communicate effectively or efficiently, or ghost you, then that's a red flag and you'll want to find someone else.
Step 4: What to Expect from Your First Therapy Session
Therapy is intended to be a collaborative process and it involves give and take to make sure you can get the most out of the experience. In your first session, your therapist will likely go over a few housekeeping rules at the beginning such as confidentiality and payment. Once that is over, they will likely ask you what brings you to see them or what your goals are for therapy.
Pro tip: If your therapist is asking about goals, then that's a green flag because they are going to tailor your treatment plan to help you meet them instead of trying to have you see them for longer than necessary.
After asking you about your goals, they will probably ask you various intake questions so they can get a better idea of your history and background. Some therapists may have you fill this out prior to the first session but most will still have you answer these questions verbally too so you can elaborate more.
The first session is usually also a time for you to ask the therapist questions that you might have such as how they practice, their political/religious views, and anything else you're interested in knowing prior to starting.
The following few sessions may still involve getting to know you more and perhaps starting to dive into the issues that brought you to therapy in the first place.
After the first session, you may have an idea whether or not you want to keep seeing the therapist or not. If you're not quite sure, then give it a session or two more to see if the dynamic and approach is right for you. If it's been three or more sessions and you still don't feel like your therapist is getting you or is helping you, then it's probably time to find a different one.
Therapists understand that not everyone is going to click with them and that's natural and normal. Don't feel bad about not scheduling another appointment or telling them it's not going to work.
What If You Can’t Find the Right Therapist?
It's possible that you may not find a therapist right away that has availability, accepts your insurance, or simply one that you vibe with — although frustrating there are other places you can look to see if that helps.
For starters, Octave offers "Centers of Excellence" in seven different areas — trauma, dialectical behavioral therapy, Latine, LGBTQIA, integrated health, perinatal postpartum and women's emotional health. This means that there's a select number of therapists who have extensive experience and training working with these specific patient populations to help provide better care.
Outside of Octave, you may consider using other specialized directories that can help you find a therapist that meets your needs.
LGBTQ+ Therapy: The Trevor Project, Inclusive Therapists
BIPOC & Culturally Competent Therapy: Therapy for Black Girls, Latinx Therapy
Faith-Based Therapy: Christian Counseling, Jewish Family Services
Conclusion
There's no doubt about it that finding a therapist can be difficult and time consuming. Although it may take multiple consultations and initial appointments, you'll eventually find someone who you click with and meets your needs. The time spent is worth it because it's an investment in yourself and overall well being. Start off by identifying what you're looking for in a therapist, understanding what your goals are for treatment and booking a session.
Still need more help finding a therapist? Skip the search. Let Octave match you with the right therapist. Get started today.