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Connecting with the right therapist for you can feel like a wild goose chase, but it doesn’t have to.
I created MyWellbeing based on my own frustrating therapist search. We at MyWellbeing are on a mission to take the guesswork out of connecting with compatible care for you and others like you. So far, we are very grateful that we’re off to a great start.
Through our quick, easy and jargon-free preferences questionnaire, which is free for you to complete, you will share a bit about what you’re looking for. It’s okay if you don’t know 100%, we will guide you along the way. We then email you therapists within our community who are pre-vetted for availability, quality, fee, and techniques that are most compatible with you and your needs. Therapists we work with offer you a free 15-min phone consultation for you to get a better sense of your fit before committing to your in-person sessions. The only fee you owe is the session fee to the therapist upon your first visit and onward.
If you’re not ready for therapy, or want to search on your own, no problem. Check out the following tips to get a better sense of how to frame your search.
You may be wondering where to begin, where to look, or what to look for.
You may fear that you won’t know who is or isn’t a good fit for you and your particular needs.
I’ve been there; I have had to navigate this process both personally and professionally, helping me become uniquely qualified to help others. As a counselor working at an outpatient mental health clinic near Union Square in New York City, part of my job was to talk on the phone with individuals calling in to our treatment center to request a therapist.
I worked closely with people like you – grappling with questions about therapy while trying to maneuver the systems of insurance, availability, and understanding therapy.
On top of the logistics, individuals reaching out for therapy are often experiencing distress. Symptoms of anxiety or depression can feel crippling before adding the overwhelming nature of infinite options, unclear instructions, and mystifying distinctions (read more about when to see a therapist here).
After nearly ten months at the clinic, absorbing individual accounts of confusion, frustration, and concern, I decided to launch My Wellbeing. My goal at My Wellbeing is to guide people like you through the therapist search, ultimately helping you to find the right fit and to feel more confident in your early stages of healing.
Through my experience, I have come to believe in five important first steps for finding the right therapist. I am excited to share these steps with you today.
You are your most important resource. Investing in yourself, especially through something as powerful as therapy, has the potential to drastically return its investment by improving your performance, your relationships with others, and, perhaps most importantly, your relationship with yourself.
Take a look at your budget. What can you afford to invest in therapy? Social stigma tempts us to undervalue our self-care. Be honest with what you can afford to allocate for your personal growth and have courage to invest in yourself.
One way to better understand where to begin is to research what a therapy session costs on average in your city. For example, in New York City, an average therapy session costs between $200-$300 out-of-pocket. This range will vary by location and by the depth of the therapist's experience. Informing your expectations will help you frame your budgeting.
If your budget is tight, there are still options. Some therapy is covered by insurance. I recommend calling your insurance company to learn the specifics of your plan and coverage. Calling your insurance provider is free, private, and will not affect your rates. Below are two suggestions of what to ask:
In many cases, even if your budget is tight, it is worthwhile to consider a therapist who works outside of insurance. Sometimes, after your reimbursement, your per-session rate is close to what your co-pay would have been. Other times, the therapist will work with you to set an affordable rate that aligns with your budget. Moreover, if you limit yourself to in-network only, you will restrict your options. Most therapists, particularly in NYC, do not accept insurance in-network for various reasons.
Before writing off a therapist because of fee, reach out to the therapist in mind and explain your circumstances. You may be eligible for a sliding scale, or a reduced session fee. Learn more about what sliding scale is and how you can talk to your therapist about it here.
At My Wellbeing, we work with many therapists in NYC who offer sliding scales as low as $80-100 per session. Compared to their full fee, you may be saving $100-$200 per session. Let us know any time if we can help you find your fit.
Consistency is key in developing a healing relationship in therapy. Most therapists will encourage you to come to therapy once per week. Some therapists may encourage you to come more than once per week. This opens up an opportunity to both unpack things going on in your life outside the therapy room, and to explore what may be happening beneath the surface, which once-per-week therapy does not always allow enough time for. Other therapists may be willing and able to work with you every other week, either for budget or scheduling reasons.
Most therapists will be very interested in meeting you where you are. When in doubt, ask. I understand this can feel intimidating. However, your therapist is there to help you. Worst case: you learn your therapist's schedule does not align with yours. That is much better to learn in the beginning than a few weeks in.
Beyond frequency, therapists often vary in what time of day they see their clients. Think about when your schedule allows you to engage in therapy and include this information in your outreach to therapists. Do you work 9-5? Would you prefer to start your day with therapy or see your therapist after work? Do you work evenings, prioritizing daytime hours for therapy?
A note: often, as evening hours tend to be the most in-demand, seeing a therapist during daytime hours or during a lunch break may help you negotiate a lower rate per session. If budget is your biggest concern, this is one way to make it work.
Various types of therapy exist for various reasons. You may have heard of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness, or psychoanalysis. These are four among many.
To distill what type of therapy might be best for you, begin by thinking about your goals.
For example, if you are working through panic attacks, the best treatment style for you may look different than for someone working through challenging relationship dynamics.
A good therapist’s training may not limit the kind of obstacles they can help you with, but will influence the way in which the therapist structures the session and the therapeutic dynamic.
For example, on two different ends of the spectrum are short-term, concrete, goal-oriented therapy and long-term, insight-oriented, relationship-building therapy. The first will often encourage you to follow action-oriented to-do lists and complete homework assignments and the later will prioritize creating a space space for you to openly unpack anything and everything on your mind. It is possible to work with a therapist who practices both.
Remember: When in doubt, ask. Express your goals with your potential therapist to see if you have found a good fit.
You may also be flirting with starting tele-therapy, or therapy implemented through technology, like video or text therapy. This is another way to potentially make therapy more affordable or more accessible, as it comes directly to your electronic device. If you are able, I encourage you to pursue in-person treatment first. If tele-therapy feels safest or most do-able for you, it is important to at least take that first step in providing yourself regular check-ins and care.
Of course, if you would like more support connecting with the best therapist for you in NYC, let us know at connect@mywellbeing.com or complete your preferences questionnaire here. We're here to help.
You may be wondering how you can prepare for your phone consultation or first visit, or whether there are specific questions you can ask to gauge your fit with your therapist. This often depends highly on you and your unique needs; however, here are a few questions you can start with:
If you find yourself face-to-face with someone who is not a good fit, trust your gut instinct. Therapists understand the importance of fit and will understand if you move on to find someone better suited to you and your needs.
Rapport is responsible for over 70% of why therapy works. Accordingly, the process of finding the right therapist can sometimes feel a bit like dating. You may need to go on a few first dates before you find someone who you would like to see a second time, despite each therapist seeming like a puzzle-piece-fit on paper.
Be patient with yourself and with the process. This relationship may grow to be an important part of your personal journey. It is worth the time and effort required to find a good fit.
If you are not sure, try again. Often, therapists are open to meeting for a few sessions to feel out the dynamic and its potential.
As always, if you feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the search process, you’re not alone. We’re here to help. Get started by sharing your preferences here or reach our team any time at connect@mywellbeing.com.
Alyssa Petersel, Co-Founder and CEO of My Wellbeing and author of Somehow I Am Different, graduated from Northwestern University in 2013 with dual BA degrees in psychology and international studies, graduated summa cum laude from New York University in May 2017 with her Master's in Social Work, and graduated from The Writer's Institute non-fiction program at CUNY Graduate Center in May 2017. A native New Yorker, Alyssa now lives in Brooklyn and enjoys running, coffee, community, and social justice.
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