How to Find the Right Therapist: Tips for a More Efficient Search
Searching for a therapist can be a frustrating experience. It’s a question I frequently hear from potential clients during initial calls, and even from friends who are navigating their own process. Since this topic comes up so often, I decided to expand on an earlier post on how to find a therapist, based on the specific feedback I’ve been hearing.
Why Psychology Today Is a Great Resource
As I mentioned before, Psychology Today is an excellent resource for finding therapists. Compared to Google, Psychology Today allows you to specify search criteria, which helps you get more accurate results. Google can be helpful in some ways, but when it comes to finding a therapist in a specific geographic area, Psychology Today can provide more focused results and lead to a more efficient search. That said, therapists create their own profiles, and sometimes the language used can be confusing for potential clients who aren’t familiar with clinical terms.
The Overwhelm of Search Results
If you’re looking for a therapist for the first time, it can be daunting to look through 10+ pages of search results. This is especially true if there’s a specific issue you want to address. Therapy and mental health treatment is such a broad field that no therapist can specialize in everything. There is no “one size fits all” approach.
What to Look for in a Therapist’s Profile
If you are looking for a therapist with expertise in a specific area—such as treatment for an eating disorder, PTSD, or anxiety—look for profiles that clearly call that out and potentially relevant training in the area you are searching for. Unfortunately, some therapists may check every box on their Psychology Today profile, even if they don’t specialize in all the listed areas. In addition, it may be helpful if a therapist has their own website. A personal website allows a therapist to share more detailed information that may not fit in the limited fields of a Psychology Today profile. Additionally, if you are specifically looking for in-person/in-office sessions consider whether there is a specific office address listed versus a general vicinity listed.
Reaching out for therapy can feel like a big step, and the process of finding the right therapist may feel daunting. However, with these tips, I hope you can navigate your search more efficiently and with greater confidence.
Peter Gleiberman, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist PSY33347
Comments