How Do I Find the Right Therapist for Me?
- Murron O'Neill, LCSW
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
It’s easy to find a therapist these days. A quick Google search for “therapy near me” will lead you to mental health offices located a short drive nearby, or direct you to large-scale therapy databases like PsychologyToday or Zencare. With luck, they will take your insurance and not be operating on a significant waitlist. Ideally, they will have the bare-minimum requirements to be a good therapist, such as caring for the folks they work with and meeting people where they are at. But beyond that, how do you know if a therapist is a good fit for you?
Read their bio.
Regardless of where you find yourself seeking a therapist, be that a therapist database or Compassionate Healing staff page, staff biographies are a look into a potential therapist’s style. Biographies should say more than just where your therapist went to school or what formal treatment modalities they use - it should provide information on both their therapeutic philosophy and general personality/attitude as a therapist.
Some people prefer more of a formal therapeutic approach, others prefer something more relaxed and casual. Neither option is right or wrong, but finding a therapist that matches that preference is an important step on the journey.
Book a consultation call and ask detailed questions.
Most therapists provide free 15-minute phone consultations prior to completing paperwork and scheduling a full intake appointment. By scheduling this call, you will be able to get a feel of your therapist's experience, tone, and approach. Typically the calls are split between the therapist asking you more detail on why you are seeking therapeutic support and you, as the potential client, asking questions you might have. Coming up with questions will maximize your time in the call, such as:
What does a typical session working with you look like?
Do you have experience working with someone who has my symptoms and experiences?
What are some of your therapeutic philosophies?
Recognize that it is no matter if you need to switch providers at any stage in the process.
No matter what, therapists should be supportive of what is best for you, even if it's not something they can be of assistance with. You can decline to move forward after a consultation call or terminate services and seek another therapist months down the line, as the decision is fully in your hands. At Compassionate Healing, it is a simple process to be matched with another clinician should the current provider not be a good fit for your needs.
If Compassionate Healing can be of assistance in finding the right therapist for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Comments