Tips for Choosing a Psychotherapist:
Questions to Ask a Prospective Therapist

-Do you have openings? How soon can you get me in? How long is the wait?

-Are you available for appointments on weekends? Evenings?

-Do you charge for an initial appointment? How much?

-What is your fee? Do you take reduced sliding fee clients? Is there a cash discount? Do you take credit cards? PayPal? Must I pay in full at the time of service, or can I make partial payments?

-How long are your sessions? 45, 50, 55, 60, 90 minutes?

-Are you in my insurance plan's mental/behavioral health network? Do you file my insurance claims for me? Can I just pay my insurance co-payment?

-What is your theoretical orientation for doing therapy? Freudian? Psychodynamic? Behavioral? Cognitive? Systemic? Humanistic? Existential? Transpersonal? Ask them to explain the difference. A combination can sometimes be best.

-How long have you been practicing psychotherapy? Are you licensed? Do you have a consulting supervisor? What is your experience working with others who may have similar issues?

-What's the expected time frame in order to treat my kind of problem? Is it a long term or short term course of treatement? What results could I expect?

-What's your preferred style for doing therapy? Individual? Group? Family? Weekly? Monthly?

-Where do you practice? Private office, hospital, clinic, agency, group practice? Is there free parking? Near a bus route?

-Are you available for emergencies by phone? Do you charge for phone calls? Reading emails?

-What is your policy for cancellations, rescheduling or missed appointments?