What is Therapy and How to Find a Therapist
Finding a therapist can be a daunting experience for a lot of folks, myself included. I’m currently looking for a new therapist and realized that more practical tips on how to go about finding a therapist that is the right fit for you are not readily available. So, if you’re looking for a therapist for the first time, struggling to find the right match, or looking for more affordable options, this post is for you! This post is based solely on my own experiences and has no affiliate links. I’m not a health insurance expert and I have yet to utilize platforms like Betterhelp so it will definitely be beneficial to supplement this post with your own research.
What is Therapy
Talk therapy, counseling, psychotherapy. Regardless of the technical term, when people say therapy, they’re referring to a 50 minute session typically once a week where you talk to a licensed professional who helps you work through tough issues, process past traumas, and teach you new skills such as mindfulness and meditation to help you through every day life. I thoroughly believe every single person on the planet can benefit from therapy. And you don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis to go to therapy. It is beneficial wherever you are in your mental health journey. It can also serve as a preventative measure and help you prepare for a mental health crisis.
Before we talk about what a therapist is, let’s cover what a therapist is not. A therapist does not prescribe medication of any kind; that’s a psychiatrist. Psychiatry is very different from therapy in that it’s often a brief 15-20 minute session with a psychiatrist, doctor, or nurse practitioner where you check in on symptoms and you will be prescribed medications to help ease your symptoms. They don’t do talk therapy.
Therapists can have lots of different letters behind their names like L.C.S.W (licensed clinical social worker), L.M.F.T. (licensed marriage and family therapist), L.P.C. (licensed professional counselor), L.M.H.C (licensed mental health counselor). Those letters have to do with their license and education. Just know that they all do talk therapy. In my own searches for therapists, I tend to pay very little attention to a counselor or therapist’s type of license and education. For me, how they identify and if they feel they can help with my specific needs are the most important.
Finding the Right Therapist for YOU
Before I get into the logistics of how to find a therapist, there is one thing I want to stress and that is finding the right therapist for you. Going to therapy is all about you and your own self-improvement so don’t settle for a therapist who doesn’t fit the bill. Finding the right match is often not super easy but it is so worth it.
As a cis-woman, I have always looked for female-identifying therapists. As an Asian American, I only recently realized that I have a right to say, no I don’t want to see a white therapist, I want to see an Asian therapist! As the client, you have a right to choose a therapist who shares similar identities to you. A cis-gender therapist may not be helpful for trans folks. A white therapist may not be helpful for POC. A non-immigrant therapist may not be helpful for an immigrant. As the client, you have a right to be picky and I highly encourage you to be!
Along the same vein, if you aren’t getting what you want out of therapy or your therapist has been problematic or made you uncomfortable even in the slightest, you can tell them and/or you can see a new therapist. You are not locked into a contract with your therapist so if for any reason it’s not working out with them, you can absolutely find someone else. I can’t tell you how many wasted dollars and hours I spent on therapy that I wasn’t getting anything out of simply because I was scared to break up with them.
Finding a therapist who isn’t white and cis-gender definitely makes the search more difficult and I still don’t have the answer as for the best way to go about finding one. So if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!
Where to Find a Therapist
Health Insurance
I want to start off by saying that I have always had the privilege of having health insurance. Whether it was under my mom’s coverage, college, or Medi-cal, I’ve always been insured. Also important to note that when it comes to searching for mental health care, not all coverage is created equal.
Some insurance plans charge outrageous deductibles and/or copays so even if you’re insured it still isn’t always the best option. With certain insurance plans, I have had to pay a $2,000 deductible before I could get any medications and my copays to see a therapist and psychiatrist were upwards of $50 per session. Some plans are also useless in that they only cover a certain amount of therapy sessions per year. The health insurance plan through my university covered 6 therapy sessions per semester. In my opinion, that’s the definition of useless.
In California (I can’t speak for other states) if you’re unemployed or making less than $16,380 per year, you qualify for Medi-Cal and the copays are free. Before you decide to go through your insurance, check to see how affordable therapy actually is because nowadays there are other options.
Private Practice
A private practice is one that does not take insurance. That means that the cost per session is totally up to them. In California, your out of pocket cost could be well over $200 per session. Some people love their private practices so if that is within your budget then by all means check them out. I have never had the money to pay for a private practice, thus never utilized their services. However, the capitalistic myth of “you get what you pay for” definitely does not apply to therapy. I’ve seen some wonderful therapists with affordable or even $0 copays.
Sliding Scale
Depending on where you are located, there may be therapy offices that charge based on your income. It’s always a toss up as to whether or not the amount they charge will actually be affordable. For reference, I’ve heard of sliding scale practices in California that still charge anywhere from $150-200 per session. I think they’re definitely worth checking out if you have some in your area but don’t let it get you down if what they deem as affordable is not actually affordable to you.
Apps and Websites
A great trend that is happening in the talk therapy world are apps and websites. All of the different websites out there offer different services from purely text message sessions, video sessions, and even some in person sessions (COVID dependent of course). I have never tried sessions that are based solely through text messaging so I can’t speak to how well they work. I can say that I personally benefit from the face to face interaction, either video chat or in person, and don’t think I’ll ever use a text message only service.
I’ve heard great things about Betterhelp and am actually considering using their services next. You sign up and they connect you with a therapist; they do all the leg work for you. A similar website is Open Path Collective. They are specifically for folks who are uninsured or underinsured so be sure to check them out if you fall into that category.
How to Conduct Your Search
Not all therapy providers will automatically connect you with a therapist. Sometimes you get a list and have to choose a therapist on your own. So if you’re going through your health insurance, looking for a private practice, or the provider you’ve chosen has you conducting your own search, this section is for you.
Personally, I think it’s easiest to search through your provider’s website. You can also call your provider and they’ll either give you a list of names and numbers that you can write down or email you one. A great reason to do your search online is because you can use filter features which can help narrow down your search by location, gender, etc. The one downside to going online is that you may get a list hundreds of therapists long. But don’t let that overwhelm you. Like I said, the filter feature is your friend here!
Once you’ve narrowed down your search, you start making phone calls. You’re going to be leaving a lot of messages so I always have a script prepared. I’ve found that having a script makes the experience feel way less daunting. Making phone calls and leaving messages tends to give me anxiety so knowing what I’m going to say beforehand helps mitigate some of that anxiety. My current script goes something like this:
Hi, my name is Chelsea and I’m calling to see if you’re taking new patients and if you have enough time to see me once a week. I’m currently struggling with depression and anxiety and am looking for someone who can help me work through some past traumas as well as help me find ways to deal with depression on a day to day basis. As a Japanese American woman, I am also looking for a therapist who is an Asian American woman. If you think we might be a good fit please call me back at…
Short and sweet but with enough information to help a therapist understand where I’m at and what I’m looking for. If you’re looking for a therapist with a certain identity that you can’t readily tell from their name, website, bio, etc., mention that in your message. It’ll save you and the therapists you’re calling a lot of time!
This is often the hardest part for me and I can’t stress enough how important it is to not give up. A lot of therapists won’t even call you back. It’s nothing personal but merely the fact that they’re just too busy or don’t feel that they match your qualifications. The search for a therapist is a process that takes time so don’t be discouraged if it’s taking you a few weeks.
A Few Final Thoughts
Your therapist is someone you’re going to be opening your heart and mind to, discussing some of your most traumatic and painful experiences; they are going to serve as your guide through your healing journey. That’s why I can’t stress enough how important it is to find someone you’re comfortable with. Whether you’re booking your first session or 2 years into seeing them, if you feel put off by the way they speak to you or something they say, it is okay for you to find someone else. Therapy truly is all about you so make sure it’s with someone who makes you feel safe, comfortable, and heard.
*Main photo was in Payahuunadü, so-called Bishop, CA on the Gem Lakes trail out of Mosquito Flat Trailhead
One Comment
Chloe
Thanks for this helpful post! One tip for finding LGBTQ+ therapists or therapists of color is literally just to Google it (qtpoc therapists/lgbtq therapists/etc) + your location. I found a bunch of useful directories this way–some therapists are banding together to help make finding culturally competent therapists easier.