Planning to Visit a Therapist?

10 Questions You Should Ask:

Finding a therapist can be a daunting task. Often, there are many to choose from which makes it difficult to select the one who may be the best fit for you. The following questions may help you narrow the search.

1. How long have you been practicing? Experience is a good thing! While not true in every circumstance, a therapist who has been practicing for several years has typically encountered a wide variety of people and issues.

2. What areas do you specialize in? Specialties and certifications often let you know the areas of interest and focus for the therapist.

3. How long have you been in practice at your current location? This question may give you an idea about how long this person may be staying at this location!

4. Do you accept my insurance? Not all therapists accept every insurance plan, or and some don’t accept insurance plans at all.

5. How soon can I meet with you? Depending on your needs, it is good to have an idea of how long it might take to meet with this therapist.

6. What age ranges do you work best with? This gives you an idea of what demographics typically comprise the therapist’s practice.

7. What type of licensure do you have? This can be important to give you an idea of the therapist’s background. There are many different licensed professionals in different states. LPC, LCSW, LMFT, LPE, just to name a few!

8. Do you offer any technology assisted services? Many states require specific certifications to offer tech assisted services such as videoconferencing.

9. How many clients do you currently see on a weekly basis? This gives you an idea of how many other people this therapist is seeing on any given week. Gives you an idea of work-life balance for the therapist!

10. What type of counseling theory do you utilize? This is important as it will guide the way the therapist thinks and what they will do in working with you!

Most importantly, it is good to interview the therapists in person. Most therapists who are in full time practice often don’t have the time to field lengthy phone calls. This is not because they don’t want to work with you. Oftentimes, they are busy working with their clients. A good suggestion is to schedule an appointment and interview the therapist in person. This will give you a better feel for the fit of the therapist with you. You may spend some resources in time and money in doing this, but it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run!

Helpful Links

Want to learn more about the story behind our motivation? Check out the link to The Peabody
Award winning podcast about the Wetterling case below:

 https://www.apmreports.org/in-the-dark/season-one

Get the Book

Having shared parts of my personal story with fellow trauma victims (along with
educators, advocates and law enforcement professionals) over the years, many people
have said, “You should write a book.” So I did. Pain In Paynesville: My First-Hand Encounters,
With Terror and the Search for Jacob Wetterling is forthcoming and will be available soon.