what you didn’t know you need to know when searching for a therapist
The therapy journey is not an easy one to begin. It requires courage and determination to even take the first steps. Besides the emotional fortitude, there are things one should know when looking for a therapist who will accompany them on this path. These are some of the things I want my adult clients to know before our first session.
If you don't trust your therapist, it won't be helpful. Building trust takes time.
The biggest predictor of positive treatment outcomes in psychotherapy is the strength of the relationship between the client and therapist (Flückiger et al., 2018). Therapy is inherently relational, and that relationship of trust, support, structure, and clear boundaries is what will drive success in therapy, regardless of treatment approach. You can think of this in terms of the phrase “bedside manner” in doctors/physicians and nurses in medicine. If you like the therapist’s “bedside manner”, it’s more likely you’ll trust them.
It’s better to work with a therapist you trust who may have less expertise than an expert you don’t want to talk to.
For individual therapy, a therapist’s credentials are only meant to inform the public, “I’m qualified”, not “I’m the right fit for you”.
There are associate licensed therapists and fully licensed therapists. Think of license types in terms of the medical hierarchy of “resident physician” (associate, continuing training) or an “attending physician” (Fully licensed, completed training). “Attendings” charge more than “Residents”:
Associate (“Resident”) Therapists (in training, supervised by an “Attending”)
LMSW: Licensed Master Social Worker
APC: Associate Professional Counselor
MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist
Fully Licensed (“Attending”) Therapists (Completed training, no direct clinical oversight):
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
PsyD: Doctor of Psychology
PhD: Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical or Counseling Psychology
All receive similar training in the most important fundamental skills a good therapist possesses.
Consider your preferences in the identity of your potential therapist.
Does representation in identity impact how comfortable you might feel? Sometimes this is unknown, especially when starting therapy for the first time. Default back to #1 if unsure.
Know how much you are able to pay AND what the session cost is if using insurance.
You are more likely to find a therapist who is within your budget if you know your budget and have decided whether or not to use insurance for payment assistance.
Insurance companies review your therapist’s notes from your sessions and then decide whether or not therapy is medically necessary.
This determines if they will help pay for the service and ultimately impacts your decision to invest in your own well-being.
This is a huge factor for why many therapists no longer accept insurance. All therapists, including those who accept insurance, agree that a random person not involved in your care does not and should not have a right to determine whether or not you need therapy. However, that is the system we exist in.
References: Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis.
Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 55(4), 316–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172
