How to Choose a Psychotherapist

HOW DO I FIND A GOOD THERAPIST?

Many times your physician will refer you to a therapist that he or she knows personally. Sometimes the referral to a therapist is not based on familiarity with the therapist's ability or practice; rather it may be based on a personal friendship, a mutual referral arrangement, or geographic location (such as being in the same building).

The best way to locate a therapist is through a recommendation from someone who has a problem similar to yours and has had a good experience with that particular therapist. Since it is unlikely that your acquaintances will have a similar problem and be willing to tell you about their therapy, it is good to have other options.

For other potential therapists, you can contact a professional referral service. These can be found listed under "Mental Health" in your phonebook, or under the specific heading of the type of professional for which you are searching. Professional organizations maintain referral lists of qualified therapists. For instance, you could look up an organization for psychiatrists, psychologists, or marriage counselors (see the appendix for phone numbers). All of these organizations have the benefit of being able to help you find the appropriate match according to your specific type of problem and the therapist's expertise. If a therapist receives any complaints, the referral service is available to evaluate and resolve the dispute. If consistent problems occur, the therapist will be removed from the service. As most of the referral services require that the therapists maintain the highest level of professionalism, a therapist from a referral service has of necessity been exposed to extra screening.

Don't just accept the first therapist that you talk to. Wait for at least three therapists to return your call. The fact that your call is returned quickly does not imply that he or she is a good therapist. It may be preferable to see a therapist that is busy and popular. However, if a therapist does call you back quickly then that does not mean anything bad. Give yourself at least a day and a half to call three therapists to talk to them on the phone, and evaluate whether you find a sense of rapport.

ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION

Be careful to protect yourself. Just because someone says they are a therapist does not mean that they have had any training. People can call themselves a therapist, a psychotherapist, an analyst, a counselor, a marriage counselor, a hypnotherapist, or a sex therapist and not have had any formal training. Although very uncommon, it is nevertheless possible to practice as a psychiatrist in the United States without having obtained any specialized training more than a medical license.

The term "psychologist" is regulated by law which means that if a person says they are a psychologist, then that means that they have to be licensed in the state in which they practice. Again be careful because some therapists say they are a psychologist because they have a Ph.D. after their name (which means they are referred to as "doctor") but they are in fact licensed to practice under a specialty other than psychology. Thus a person with a Ph.D. in psychology from their graduate training may actually be state licensed as a marriage counselor. In some states, a marriage counselor can practice without being licensed. So how do you protect yourself?...By asking the following questions:

To a Psychiatrist: Have you had residency training in psychiatry and are you Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (more tha
1/3 are Board Certified).

To a Psychologist: Are you licensed AS a psychologist? If not, under what license do you practice and what is your training?

To any other therapist: What is your license, degree, and training?

BEFORE CALLING THE THERAPIST

First decide if you want a same-sex therapist or one of the opposite sex. If you are apprehensive about therapy then choose the sex of the therapist with whom you feel most comfortable.

Next find out how much you can afford for therapy. Assuming that therapy is once a week, then figure out how much can you afford to pay for four sessions in a month. If you have insurance, then contact your carrier and obtain in writing what they cover; i.e. if you have to see a specific therapist on their list, or if you have to see a particular type of therapist. Ask the carrier how much they pay for each office visit, and how many sessions they pay for. Also ask about annual and life time pay out limits.

Now you are ready to contact the therapist.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ON THE PHONE

Ask the potential therapist if he or she has a few minutes to talk to you about therapy. If he or she is not available at that moment, then ask when you can call at a more convenient time. If you discover that they are too busy for this brief introductory talk, you may want to ask whether they are accepting new clients and when the first available appointment could be made. If it is too long until you can get an appointment and you feel the need to be seen immediately then ask for a referral to another therapist. The average wait is less than a week although rarely, with very busy therapists, it can be up to 6 months; so check with the therapist.

Does the therapist limit his or her practice to a particular type of client? Does the therapist do family or couples therapy if necessary? What type of therapy does he or she use? What type of experience, training, and license does the therapist have? Will the therapist read your history before you go to your first session? How long are the sessions, and how often does the therapist generally schedule sessions? And of course, what is the fee and will the therapist accept your insurance and how are co-payments handled? (co-payments are the amount that you have to pay beyond the insurance payment.) You can ask the therapist about a "sliding fee scale," which means that the fee may "slide" or vary according to your ability to pay or your monthly income.

Has the therapist ever had a license revoked or suspended; has he ever been disciplined by a state or professional ethics board and would he be willing to discuss it? (You can call the state licensing board to check out his or her license, credentials, and any ethical violations.

Tell the therapist that you want to talk to a few other potential therapists and you will call back if you decide to make an appointment. Give yourself some time to think over and digest your feelings about the phone conversations. Then choose a therapist and make an appointment for an initial trial session. The first session should be used to help you decide if you WANT to work together. (Article continued on our web site listed below.)

Call 1-800-THERAPIST for more informatio
1-800-843-7274.
Learn more on our web sitenwww.1-800-therapist.com n