Getting Professional Help

How to find a Therapist (USA)

If you have insurance, call your insurance company and speak to them about getting connected with a therapist who will be covered by your insurance. They will help you find someone, and you can ask for the specializations that would be ideal for you.

Finding a Therapist – Resources

• Psychology Today – A website where you can search by filters, insurance, zip code, specialization, etc, to find the right therapist for you.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

• American Psychological Association – Another website where you can search for a mental health professional based on location and other filters. 

https://locator.apa.org

Finding The Right Therapist for You

It’s important to remember that not every therapist will be the right fit. Especially in today’s therapy environment, it can be hard to think about leaving a therapist once you have one because finding one in the first place (depending on where you live) can be such a challenge on its own. That being said, it is so worth it to continue your search and to keep looking for a new therapist even if you have one if the one you’re currently with is not the right fit. It doesn’t mean your current therapist isn’t a good therapist – but not every therapist will be right for every client. A pair of shoes could be expertly handcrafted with some of the most expensive materials in the world, but if they are not in your size, you won’t be able to walk comfortably in them. Stay with your therapist so long as they’re not causing active harm while you find a new one – maybe they can even help you in your search (a good therapist will understand if you say they aren’t a good fit for you and will help you find a new one with you). That being said, give a therapist a few sessions – unless they give you a big red flag, don’t write them off after one or two sessions without a major reason. 

In essence, ensure you go into therapist-client relationships, giving your therapist a fair chance, but also recognizing they might not be the perfect fit, and if it ends up not being right, it is going to be better for you to continue to search to find the right fit for you. Also, unfortunately, there are bad seeds out there, and if there are major red flags that do come up, listen to your gut, talk to others you trust, and terminate that relationship if and when needed.