What to Expect when you’re Ready to Start Therapy
Congratulations! You have gotten to the point where you have decided that going to therapy might be in your best interest. A big myth people tend to believe is that only people with issues like depression, anxiety, drug use, trauma, etc. can go to therapy. I am here to dispel that myth! Therapists see people for a myriad of issues, some of which are life transitions (switching jobs, graduating from high school and starting college, getting married) that they need extra assistance navigating, and sometimes people come in just to have someone to talk to about self-improvement, or to learn how to take care of themselves better. You do not need a medicated mental health issue to see a therapist.
Now that I’ve hopefully helped you feel better about having a good reason to find a therapist (they’re all good reasons), how do you go about finding one? There are a lot of different ways you can find a therapist. A simple google search for “therapists in my area” can yield some helpful results. Websites like Psychology Today have an entire catalog of therapists that you can browse, as well as narrow down results that are more specific to you by clicking whether you’d like a female or male therapist, if there is a certain type of therapy you’re interested in (Individual, Group, Family, Couples), modality (CBT, EMDR, DBT, etc.), and symptoms/struggles (Depression, anxiety, life transitions, sexual orientation exploration, gender identity, trauma, etc.). You can also ask your primary physician for a referral to a local therapy clinic or practice, ask a friend who is in therapy, or call your insurance company to see what clinicians in the area take your insurance. You might also find a business card for a therapist posted in local businesses.
When you pick the therapist that you feel is the best fit, contact them. If it is a clinic or wellness center, an intake person will most likely contact you to place you with your therapist of choice (or a therapist that they think is best suited to your needs), as well as gather your information to send you paperwork. If you contact a private practitioner, you will speak directly with the therapist, and they will ask you for contact information to send you paperwork, as well as schedule an initial session. Most places will ask you to contact them at least 24 hours before your session if you need to cancel or reschedule (please don’t wait until the last minute to do this).
You’ve made it to your first session! If it has been requested of you, make sure you arrive early to fill out paperwork; if a clinician does not ask you to stay after to finish the paperwork, they will ask you to complete it before starting the session, and this eats into your session time. You may also be asked for your ID and credit card to keep on file. Even if you don’t have a copay, many places will ask to keep a card on file, mostly in case of late cancel/no show fees. This is standard practice. During your session, your therapist will may ask you questions about what brings you into therapy, as well as what your support system and hobbies are. They will also explain to you how confidentiality works in the therapy setting (usually: whatever is said in the room stays in the room, unless you are a threat to yourself or others, etc.), and what to expect from them as a therapist/how the therapy hour will be structured. From there, you’re off and running!
If you meet with your therapist, and after the first or a few sessions, you decide they’re not a good fit, that’s fine! Sometimes therapists and clients are simply not the right fit, and it is completely fine to end your therapy relationship with that person in pursuit of another therapist who is a better fit for you. Changing therapists doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t like the person; clients change therapists if they think another therapist can help them more, or has a particular skill-set that they want or would benefit from, etc. Most therapist I know, myself included, are happy to see you get the assistance you need if you feel that working with someone else is in your best interest, and normally don’t take it personally.
Are you ready to talk? What kind of things would you like in a therapist?
