Questions to Ask When Selecting a Therapist

It is very important to ask questions before selecting a therapist. You will be spending allot of time and money with her, so you will want to question a potential therapist closely. Many people feel awkward or shy about asking questions of a therapist but you should give at least the care to choosing a therapist as you would a car. Even if all the questions are answered satisfactorily by the therapist, you need, ultimately, to listen to your gut feelings. If your gut says "No," go with that and find another therapist to question.

Be sure that your therapist is licensed. There are several different kinds of licensed therapists: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and marriage and family therapists. All these have very good therapists and very bad ones.

Here are some questions you should ask a prospective therapist:

1. What is your location? This may seem like a no brainer but you don't want a long drive to an iffy part of town with no parking or very expensive parking.

2. What is your availability? You need to know the hours your therapist works. You also need to know if she is available 24 hours a day for emergencies.

3. Do you specialize in or have experience with my problem? If your problem is fear of flying, you want a therapist who knows specifically how to treat this.

4. How long have you been in practice? Research has shown that at least 10 years of experience is usually needed to produce a really good therapist.

5. What does the therapy cost? Psychiatrists are usually the most expensive while psychiatric social workers and marriage and family therapists are often the least expensive.

6. Do you deal with my insurance company?

7. Are you willing to accept payment directly from my insurance company? This isn't a deal breaker but it certainly helps the pocket book when payment isn't immediately required.

8. If not covered by insurance, are you willing to adjust your fees? If not, can you refer me to someone who will? Most therapists set aside a percentage of their practice for low cost patients but your therapist may also have filled his quota. There are lower cost, non-profit community mental health centers you can go to. Their therapists are often younger and less experienced than those in private practice are.

9. What is your treatment philosophy and what are your treatment methods? You may not be at all familiar with this topic but if the therapist seems a rigid adherent to one philosophy or treatment, this is a warning signal. In general, if the therapist is a psychoanalyst you will spend a long time in therapy but if she is a cognitive and/or behavioral therapist, the therapy will be relatively short and time limited.

10. What is your position on medications? If the therapist is flat out against medication for all conditions, run don't walk. Most therapists, however, will feel that some conditions, depression, for example, will benefit from a combination of medication and therapy.

As you can see, it is valuable to ask questions when selecting a therapist.