The Guide to Getting a Therapist, Pt 2

This post appeared at a previous blog I owned. It has been edited and revised for clarity.

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So you have a therapist (or several) in mind:

An introductory email or phone call is your next step. I find emails take less activation energy for me, as I can use the same default text over and over, and send them at any time.

You want to convey these things in your initial contact:

Who you are. (Not the deep philosophical version of this—your name will suffice!)
What you’re looking for (presumably, an appointment, but possibly a referral if they don’t have appointments available)
A general sense of your schedule (particularly important if you only have a few set times you are free)
A general sense of what problems you have, if you’re comfortable disclosing
Your insurance type and any other payment concerns.

Optional other information:

Previous experiences (have you seen a therapist before? Do you have prior diagnoses? Are you currently on psychiatric medication?)
Did you get a recommendation from someone?
Specific parts of your identity that might be worth disclosing (language preference, if the therapist speaks several, sexuality, etc)

Therapists sometimes aren’t taking clients or might not have experience in your relevant issue. For instance, if you write that you have trouble with OCD, and the therapist knows they haven’t got relevant skills, they might not want to take you on as a client.

Further, since therapists have a set of people they see with some regularity, they might not have a free space to add you. I’ve found it helpful to think of the initial interaction as asking someone to dance. You say “Hi, would you like to tango?” and sometimes they say “Tango? Fantastic!” and sometimes they say “Mmm, you seem lovely, but I only know the waltz.” or even “I love to tango, but I only know how to lead, and you only know how to lead and this sounds like it would be a problem.”

Scripts for contact:

(As a general note, social workers or mental health counselors are Mr/Ms/Mx., psychologists and psychiatrists are Dr.)

Sample email (feel free to duplicate)

Hi [therapist],

I’m [name] and I’m interested in an appointment. Are you taking clients? [Because clients often are seeing a therapist weekly or every two weeks, timeslots can fill up, and therapists occasionally aren’t able to accept new cases]

I am experiencing trouble with [issue, with as much or as little detail as you’re comfy starting with/previous diagnosis]. Do you take [insurance type]? OR Do you negotiate sliding scale payment rates?

I have [work/school] on [days] but could do [general sense of free time, such as “weekends” or “Monday-Thursday afternoons”] If you’re not accepting clients, do you have suggestions for other therapists who might serve my needs?

Please let me know,

[name] [additional contact info if you prefer a phone call, etc]

Here’s an adapted version of an email I’ve actually sent:

Hi [therapist]

I’m [Legal Name], and I heard about you from [Campus Service]. I’ve had previous problems with an eating disorder (anorexia, currently well-managed EDNOS), and I’m looking to do some additional work on my coping mechanisms. I’ve had lots of success with CBT, and you list this as a modality you use. I was seeing [therapist at location], but with the new school year, am in need of a new therapist.

I have school on Monday-Thursday from 8-3, but am free after that and Fridays and weekends if you take weekend appointments.  My insurance is [Name of Insurance], and you list this as one of the ones you take.  Do you have availability? If you’re not accepting clients, do you have suggestions for someone else who might serve my needs?

Please let me know!

Kate

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