What is my responsibility in finding a therapist?

It's overwhelming!

Let's start with some honesty - finding a therapist is so incredibly hard. As one friend described it, "It's like looking for medicine when you're sick and can't think straight."

There are so many details you have to work through - questions to ask yourself (Do I even need therapy? Can I afford it? How do I find one?) and also the work to actually find a good fit and make the appointment.

All of these challenges are one of the reasons that I started working as a Counseling Consultant with my church in DC - Christ City Church. We saw the many barriers and wanted to support people in this journey to finding mental health healing.

Please reach out to me if you want some help on this journey.

You can also do this yourself!

Here are areas to consider and questions to ask yourself as you look for a therapist. I put them as bullet points and you'll want to go deeper by asking how much and to what extent each point matters to you.

Decide what you want:

• Finances and insurance

• Location and transportation

• Traits – gender, ethnicity, faith affiliation

• Areas of Expertise

Read more:

• First questions to answer in the process of finding a therapy

• Should I go to a Christian therapist?

• What if I go to a non-Christian, will they dismiss or look down on my faith?

• What are the differences between the licenses and titles, like LICSW, LPC, or LMFT?

Review their online profiles to see if they are good fits

• Training – education or special certificates

• Approaches to therapy, such as a specific mode (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Attachment, etc.)

• Style, such as tool-focused, structured, or art-based

Read more:

• Does gender matter? Does ethnicity?

• Four Components of a Good Therapist

• I'm on Psychology Today looking for a therapist, now what?

Check with your insurance company about your personal policy benefits

• In-Network benefits

• Out-of-Network benefits

• Allowable Charges

• Deductibles

• HSA/FSA

Read more:

• Let's talk money…

• Why doesn't every therapist take insurance?

Contact potential therapists

• Email or phone call

• Phone consultation – 10-30 minutes to share about what you are looking for (areas of expertise, specific challenges), hear about their skills and approach to therapy, and ask the therapist any questions you have.

Read more:

• Questions to ask a perspective therapist

• Scheduling a First Appointment, and Ending the Process

Show up to your first appointment

Read more:

• What will therapy be like?

• How can therapy be helpful? What can it do?

• Do I have to talk about my family? Or my past?

End therapy

Read more: How do I quit therapy?