How to Find the Right Therapist for You: A How-To Guide

Finding the right therapist can be difficult for many. There are so many options, money can be tight, and it's tough to know what questions to ask to find someone who will be a good fit for your needs. This article will walk you through the process of finding the best match possible—from understanding what you need in a therapist, to narrowing down your search based on budget and expertise.

Are you ready for a change?

First, ask yourself if you're ready to take a good look in the mirror and change some things. If you're on the fence, just give it more time and wait 'til you know and are ready and sure that you want to start therapy.

Select a type of therapist.

Decide on what type of therapist you want to see. It's a broad term, so you'll want to do your research. Note that “psychotherapist” is an umbrella term for any provider who does talk therapy or “psychotherapy.”

I'm a clinical psychologist. A psychologist is a non-physician doctor who spends an unpaid decade of schooling to gain expertise and training to treat psychiatric & psychological conditions through talk therapy, behavioral interventions, and administering assessments. To-date we cannot write you medication prescriptions in California.

Here is a list of different types of mental health professionals in CA:

Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are physicians with M.D. or D.O. degrees specializing in mental health. Psychiatrists treat mental illness through medication management in conjunction with your psychotherapist doing psychotherapy.

Psychologist

Psychologists are similar to psychiatrists but typically do not prescribe medication to their patients. Psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat patients experiencing psychological distress and mental illness; our main tool is psychotherapy and the relationship we build with you. Psychologists can have a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. and are trained to understand how the mind and behavior correspond. 

Within the psychologist category, there are also Clinical Psychologists and Counseling Psychologists. Clinical Psychologists are able to address day-to-day issues and can also treat severe mental illness, while Counseling Psychologists primarily remain with day-to-day problems. Both types can partner up with psychiatrists if they feel medication is needed for a patient. 

Psychoanalyst

Psychoanalysts are psychotherapists who specifically practice psychoanalysis. This is often multiple sessions per week for a course of treatment sometimes spanning years. Some psychoanalysts can prescribe medications to their patients if they already had prescribing rights. Meaning, psychoanalysts typically obtain a Ph.D. on top of the mental health degree and license they held beforehand, which is usually required to train in psychoanalysis proper. Analysts are trained to help patients bring unconscious, deep-seated issues to their conscious awareness in order to gain a better understanding and control of their lives and problems.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)

LCSWs or “social workers” have master's degrees in social work and are also trained professionals with state certifications. LCSWs typically focus on connecting clients to resources and can provide counseling to clients. Similar to Psychologists, LCSWs cannot prescribe medication but can diagnose psychological disorders.

Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs)

MFTs have master's degrees in marriage and family therapy and are also trained professionals with state certifications. MFTs typically focus on helping couples, families, and other units in bettering their relationships or facilitating the healthy dissolve or transition out of relationships. Similar to Psychologists and LCSWs, MFTs cannot prescribe medication but also do not diagnose mental illnesses.

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)

LPCs and LMHCs have master's degrees in counseling and are also trained professionals with state certifications. Counselors typically focus on helping individuals develop better relationships with their mental health and work with clients on coping strategies for their emotions. Similar to Psychologists, LCSWs, and MFTs, LPCs and LMHCs cannot prescribe medication. There are also state restrictions on what they can diagnose. 

This two chairs article does a great job explaining common types of therapy and what therapist is the right fit for each.

Set your budget. 

Investing in yourself is always great, but sometimes it can be a hard pill to swallow financially. If you are financially in a place to pay for weekly out-of-pocket therapy, then you may skip to the next step. If weekly therapy paid out-of-pocket poses a financial burden, please know that treatment is within your budget, and the Affordable Care Act made sure of that. Try a Google search for low-fee clinics; try your health insurance's "Find A Doctor" tool, and ask friends & family for recommendations.

Do more research.

Once you identify the type of psychotherapist you'd like, search and earmark some therapists you'd be interested in seeing! Thoroughly read the information on their websites or their online bios. 

Pro tip: Be on the lookout for explanations on their fees, where sessions would take place, if they contract with insurance, their Covid compliance policies, and other Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.s).

If you wish to use health insurance benefits to cover therapy costs, first see if the therapist works with or contracts in-network with your health insurance company or your employer’s EAP program. If the therapist does not, and you still wish to use out-of-network benefits to get reimbursed, take initiative and contact your insurance’s customer care. Ask the representative you speak with to thoroughly explain this process and how your health insurance benefits work overall. Each company is different, and your monthly premium indirectly paid that representative to help guide you through their network. Taking initiative and contacting customer care can be framed as Self-Advocacy, and this is a great step in bettering your mental health.

Reach out. 

Call or email all of the therapists you like; text message if they specify that you can. And your health insurance provider’s Customer Care number can usually be found on the back of your member ID card.

Wait to hear back. 

Remember that it's still a pandemic at the time I post this, and we're in the subsequent mental health crisis. Not every therapist you reach out to can respond immediately, and many of us are at-capacity. Something I recommend is to ask if they have a waitlist. Waitlists can work if you can hold tight a bit longer. And if you are waitlisted or don't find a match right away, try some self-help books or short, digestible worksheets to tide you over until you do.

Here are a few books that I highly recommend:

I also have worksheets on my website that I use in my own practice that I encourage you to use with a trusted friend, psychotherapist, partner, or family member. 

And I suggest setting up consultations with a few potential therapists to find the right fit; I encourage you to let the therapists you meet with know that you are exploring your options. Once you’ve narrowed it down, stick with just one therapist, and know that you’re able to have more than one psychotherapist only in rare instances such as working with one primary psychotherapist to process a divorce while temporarily working with another therapist to address one’s fear of elevators before beginning a new job in a high rise building, for example. Most therapists won’t allow two chefs in the mental kitchen, and keeping things from one’s therapist(s) is never an effective use of their time or your money.

Takeaways

Start getting better! Once you book an initial consultation or, say, six, this may kick start your progress, and you may begin feeling better once you make this gesture of commitment to yourself.

Dr. E