Finding A Therapist That Is a Good Fit (Part 1)

Author: Katie Bloom Leoni, Psy.D.

You’ve made the decision that you’re interested in beginning therapy but are not sure what to do next. In this two part series, we’ll share some tips to help guide you on your journey to finding the right therapist.

1. The first step is finding a therapist. Here are some tips to begin your search. 

• Ask friends and family
  • Did your family member or friend have a positive therapy experience? Often talking to people we know can yield various therapist’s names (possibly even referrals from your loved one’s therapist) as well as insight into what was helpful and unhelpful for your loved one. Friends and family are valuable resources and can often provide unbiased and honest opinions.
• Search online
  • ​Use a search engine to find therapists in your area with the specialties you are looking for (e.g. “San Francisco Anxiety CBT”). Check out some websites and get a sense of the therapist’s approach to see if it aligns with what you are looking for. You can also check therapist listings such as Psychology Today, Good Therapy, and Therapy Tribe. Ask your insurance company to send you lists of in-network therapists. Look for biographies and areas of interest/expertise that are in line with your current presenting issues.
• Learn about different therapy modalities
  • There are different types of therapy and most therapists are guided by their foundational preference for a certain theoretical orientation. Here are some common modalities:
    • ​Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: The therapists at Sfbaycbt operate using a CBT model framework. Click here to learn more about the CBT model.
      • Modalities that have risen from traditional CBT, known as third wave CBT, are: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other mindfulness based therapies
    • Psychodynamic Therapy: Focuses more on unconscious motives for behavior and exploring the client’s past/background in relation to the present.
    • Integrative/Eclectic: Some therapists use a combination of different theoretical orientation to inform their treatment.
      • Ask them: How do you decide which orientation you will use to treat me? How do you decide which orientation you will use in session?
• Think about what you want in therapy
  • ​What are you hoping to learn in therapy? If you fast forward and it was your last session in therapy, how would you life look?
• Identify your priorities in a therapist
  • ​These include: location, cost, does this therapist accept your insurance?, expertise, gender of therapist, age of therapist, frequency of visits

2. The second step is setting up and having phone consultations. It is helpful to find two or three therapists that you are interested in and set up a phone consultation with each. Simply talking to a therapist does not mean you have to start seeing them. Most therapists offer a free phone consultation, which allows an opportunity for the therapist to learn more about your concerns and for you to learn about their office policies. Please reach out for a free phone consultation with a therapist at Sfbaycbt to begin this process. Some helpful tips for the phone consultation include:

• Describe your current issues
  • ​Most therapists will begin the phone consultation by asking you to briefly explain the issues that prompted you to seek therapy. Be prepared to summarize your main presenting problems.
• Experience/expertise and theoretical orientation
  • Ask if the therapist has experience treating your issues. It is perfectly acceptable to ask about therapist’s training and expertise, as well as their general approach to treating problems similar to yours.
• Ask therapist how they will measure success
  • ​Do they use outcome measures? Do they check in with you regularly about progress?
• Figure out logistics
  • Ask about fee (ask if therapist offers a sliding scale fee if applicable to you), available session times, if the therapist takes insurance, suggested frequency of visits, and office location. ​
• Pay attention to how you feel on the phone call
  • ​Your initial feeling (i.e., nervous, excited, worried, respected, calm etc.) regarding the therapist you are speaking to is very important. Of course, it is natural to feel nervous taking the step of talking to a therapist on the phone, but check in with yourself if this feeling is out of the normal range for you. Often, your initial feeling about your therapist will help guide your decision to make an appointment or not. Just as with a phone consultation, making an in person appointment does not mean you have to work with the therapist long term.​