Starting therapy, whether it’s your first time or you’re in a new city, can feel overwhelming. Your relationship with your therapist can be integral to growth and healing, so it’s important to take your time and consider several factors as you try to find a therapist who’s right for you:
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What are your goals?
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What kind of therapy are you looking for?
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What is your price range?
Think about what brings you to therapy. Are you dealing with career stress? Is anxiety affecting your relationships or daily life? Are you dealing with trauma wounds? Knowing your goals ahead of time can help you find a therapist whose approach aligns with your needs.
Therapists often use specific treatment modalities. Here are a few you might encounter: CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, helps people manage problems by changing unhelpful thinking and behaviors. EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, is geared towards PTSD and other trauma related issues. Therapists trained in DBT theory and skills, or didactical behavioral therapy, helps people manage intense emotions and cope with challenging situations.
Some therapists specialize in just one approach, while others draw from multiple techniques. Reading about different types of therapy can help you decide what feels right, or at least narrow down your options.
If you are working within a budget, start by checking which therapists are in-network with your insurance plan. How might you do that? Contact your insurance provider for a list of covered therapists. Use online directories like ZocDoc or Psychology Today. If you don’t gel with anyone in your network, you may want to consider paying out of pocket. It’s a good idea to see if your insurance has out-of-network benefits so that you could potentially get reimbursed for those visits.
Don’t overlook community-based support systems. There could be some resources in your area that can point you in the right direction. Some companies have wellness programs that are connected with mental health providers. Colleges or universities typically offer student resource centers that would be able to provide you with information on providers in your area.
Group therapy is also an affordable way to find a supportive community dealing with similar issues. While group therapy is a less common form of treatment compared to individual therapy, and may not be top of mind for many therapy seekers, having a safe and professionally-guided community-based space for healing can be surprisingly beneficial. It may even be a good first-line option for some people.
It’s also important to pay attention during your first few appointments and see how you feel about a particular provider. Ask them questions about how much experience they have with your particular issues of concern. What do they consider to be their specialty, or do they have any preferred modality of treatment? Think of it as if you are interviewing them for the job of your therapist. If you are doing in person appointments, is the room comfortable? Does it feel private? Do you feel like the therapist is present and listening to you the whole time?
It’s ok to not like the first person you meet with. Take your time and find someone you like. Therapy is a wonderful way to work through situational issues or deal with ongoing stress. It offers so many benefits to your mental and emotional well being.
Always remember: the most important relationship you will have during your lifetime is the relationship with yourself. Invest in a therapist whom you feel comfortable with and who seems invested in your growth and well-being.
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When a therapist truly believes in your potential, it can powerfully, positively, and permanently reshape your way of relating to yourself.
