How To Find The Right Therapist For You

I know from personal experience that trying to find a therapist can be a very overwhelming process. But there are definitely ways that can help you find the right therapist for you.

When I first started my search, I became completely overwhelmed with all the choices that were being presented to me. Simply googling “Find a therapist near me” wasn’t very helpful because there were so many site recommendations. Finding a perfect fit was important to me. But I had no idea where to start. I shut my computer a handful of times trying and feeling frustrated. I was convincing myself that I didn’t need to go through all this trouble. Telling myself that I would be fine if I tried a little harder on my own.

From my experience, I believe the most helpful site (which led me to find my current therapist) was psychology today. I really enjoyed their website out of the few I researched. PsychologyToday lets you search therapists based on your location, your insurance, their gender, issue, age, price, etc. You can literally search for exactly what you want.

I contacted a few therapists that I initially was drawn to. Unfortunately they sent me an email back saying that they were no longer accepting clients. And one stated she was only offering telehealth appointments because of COVID.

For me, I was looking for a female and someone who would offer in-person therapy sessions. There were definitely a lot of initial options. I decided to reach out to 3 separate therapists about scheduling an appointment.

After receiving a few email responses with no luck, I decided to try something different. I opened open my preferences to both males and females. And thank goodness I did. One of the first therapists that popped up on my new search was the therapist I have now. 

I am someone who believes that everything happens for a reason. And this is just another example as to why I truly believe that statement. A ton of factors played into my search that day. Had I not searched when I did, had I not received emails from my first choices with their availability; I wouldn’t have found the therapist I have now. And he is absolutely the perfect fit for me.

I would definitely consider myself lucky that the first therapy session I ever attended turned out to be the best fit for me. After a year of going to see my therapist, I have never once felt judged or unheard. I have always felt comfortable and have always felt that this therapist was truly made for me.

My Tips:

Time

Give yourself enough time
This process is very overwhelming with all of the choices that are presented to you. If you’ve ever considered going to therapy, start your search and look for some options that are available for you. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to search for a therapist. Sometimes scheduling an appointment takes time.

Identify Your Goals and Preferences

Think about your goals
Before you begin your search, it is important to identify what exactly you are wanting to accomplish in therapy. Knowing exactly what you want to work on is going to be extremely helpful in your search. If you are looking for a therapist, there is a good chance you already have an idea of your struggles. Use your goals to help narrow done your preferences during your search.

Have preferences, but be open
You are more than allowed to have expectations and preferences for what you’re looking for in a therapist. If you are having trouble finding one that checks all of your boxes, be open to changing a few preferences; gender, age, etc. I was ultimately searching for a female therapist who was younger and offered in-person sessions. What I ended up with was an older male who offered in-person and zoom sessions. I went with a completely different preference than I originally thought. I don’t think I could have ended up with a better therapist.

Research & Contact

Read their website
If they have a personal website attached to the search engine you found them on, do some snooping! Look around their site to find some reviews as well as personal strengths and stories they want to share. I felt very confident in the therapist I chose. His website described a ton of things I was looking for.

Send them an email
Sometimes the websites are not updated (accepting new clients vs. not). Tell them if you would prefer in-session or zoom calls as well as what your goals are. Also let them know what you want to accomplish in order to see if they are able to help you. 

Use specific search engines
Try to stay away from google when searching for a therapist near you.  I used psychology today and I 100% recommend it! I feel like they had endless amounts of suggestions based on what I was looking for. You can search by gender, insurance, struggles, types of therapy, age, price and more! You can access that website HERE. But here are a few others as well
– Better Help
– Good Therapy
– Mental Health Match

Be Open & Vulnerable

Go in with an open mind, because you can always change it!
You can always change your therapist! Obviously it is important to find a consistent therapist in order to grow your trust and your relationship with them. But if you find yourself not opening up to your therapist you might want to try someone different. And that’s okay! It is so important to find a therapist that you are 100% comfortable with. It’s similar to when you are looking for a relationship! You want to find someone you can trust 100% and someone you can absolutely open up to. Don’t stay with a therapist if you find yourself lying or feeling judged. Your progress then will feel really limited.

Prepare The Finances

Think about how you’re going to pay for your therapy
There are plenty of therapists that accept insurance. And you can always search for a therapist based on what type of insurance you have. If you don’t have insurance, some therapists do have an out of pocket cost that will be listed on their website. My therapist does not accept insurance, which was nice to know ahead of time. After deciding to stay with him, I was able to figure out if paying for his services was something that was manageable for me.

If you have been thinking about therapy, I hope these tips can help you find the most perfect fit for you. You never know how it will go until you try!