How to Choose the Right Therapist for You

Is this your first experience with therapy? If you're not sure how to find the right therapist for your needs, take a look at the questions to ask right now.

What Does Your Insurance Have to Say?

While insurance requirements won't help you to find a therapist who you connect with, you need to start with providers your policy accepts. Failure to choose an in-network therapist may result in expensive out-ofpocket payments. This could potentially make it difficult or impossible to continue or complete your course of treatment.

Before you start your therapist search, talk to your insurance company. Ask for a list of therapists who are in-network or accepted by the policy's guidelines. After you know who is or isn't in-network, you can start to narrow down your choices.

Who Will You Work Best With?

You need to feel comfortable with your therapist. If you can't connect with or trust the mental health professional, you won't get what you need out of therapy. While you might not know if you have a connection with a therapist until your first appointment, you can think about the type of person you feel most comfortable working with before you choose one professional.

Some people have specific attributes they look for in a therapist. These may include gender or age. Even though you may want to remain open to any therapist, you may still feel more comfortable with someone your own age, older than you, younger than you, or the same or another gender.

Specific personal information about a therapist isn't typically available to patients. Ask the therapist's office or mental health center about professional biographies or for basic information (such as gender or age) before you schedule an appointment. If these attributes aren't important to you, skip this step and move on to the first office visit meeting.

Even though in a perfect world you would find your ideal therapist on the first try, you possibly won't feel comfortable with the professional. This type of professional relationship can take time to build. But if you immediately realize your would-be therapist isn't the right match, you may need to change your criteria and start the search again.

What Type of Background Does the Therapist Have?

There isn't one type of therapist. Some mental health professionals are licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), or licensed chemical dependency counselors (LCDC). Other professionals have a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), or Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. You may also find therapists who have a combination of licensing and degrees or other types of credentials.

If you prefer a therapist who specializes in one specific issue (such as children, marriage, families, addiction, or a specific type of disorder), look for a professional who has additional training or experience. Again, the therapist's bio should include this information.

What Type of Therapy or Treatments Will the Therapist Use?

Like therapists, you won't find just one type of therapy. The specific treatment you receive depends on several factors. These include, but aren't limited to, the therapist and their background, your mental health needs, and whether you prefer or need medication.

As a patient who is new to the therapy world, you may not know what type of treatment you'll need or what kind of therapy to explore first. If you're not sure where to begin this process, you may need to talk to a few different therapists or clinics. The mental health professional can help you to better understand what they do and whether it is what you're looking for.

Do you need a new therapist? Contact Heritage Mental Health Clinic for more information.