Finding a therapist can be incredibly hard. There are so many things we are trying to think about.

What do I want from a therapist? Will they understand me? What will help me the most? Do they take my insurance? What do I want from therapy?

Answering all these questions can feel overwhelming and because of this sometimes we don't get very far or we accept a therapist that does not work well for us. One of the most important questions to answer is, do I feel seen or cared for by this therapist? Figuring this out prior to meeting can be tough and feel nearly impossible. There are a few ways we can try and figure this out ahead of time.

Read their profile: You can get a small taste of what someone is like this way
Talk with them on the phone (most therapists offer a free 15 minute consultation)
Notice how you feel right after you talk or read the therapists profile, this will give you an indication of how you might feel in session with them

We can read profiles on psychology today, websites, or hear about a therapist through a friend. All of this can be helpful. A lot of the times we won't know until we get to meet the therapist and connect with them in person. It usually is good to give a new therapist a few sessions before making a decision as it will give you a better picture of what it might be like working with them

Some therapy organizations try to also help with this dilemma "who is the right therapist for me?" For instance here at Whole Connection, we try our best initially to find a therapist that will best fit a new person. This way it is more likely you will find a therapist that will work out, rather than continuing the long and seemingly difficult search.

When it comes down to it the most important piece is feeling you have a place you can be vulnerable and share yourself honestly, in essence, you have a good and strong relationship with your therapist. There is research that shows the relationship between a therapist and a client accounts for roughly most of the success in therapy. A therapist who can hold space for the relationship between them and the client, will give the therapy a larger chance for success.

To end this short blog we will leave a list of questions that can be useful to ask a potential therapist.

How do you work with the client and therapist relationship?
Ask questions that might have come up for you from reading their profile
How much will it cost? (having an idea ahead of time what you can spend in a month on therapy will be helpful)
What is their availability like? If you want to be seen weekly, its good to know if they can do this.

Lastly it is understandable that many people cannot afford therapy. Finding someone that can accept your insurance can be difficult. Here at Whole Connection we accept Medicaid and know how important it can be to have access to mental health care especially when you cannot afford it. Looking through you insurance provider will more accurately show you who is in network. Therapists can write you an invoice so you can bill your own insurance, and it will be important to check with your insurance that they will reimburse.

Hopefully this article helps you find the right therapist in your search. If you still are having trouble, reach out to us and we will do our best to help you find someone even if it is not us.

How to Find the Therapist for You