So, you want to go to therapy. Congratulations on making a smart decision! If you select the right mental health therapist you’ll get the treatment you need to solve your problem and help you feel better. Your therapist will be smart, qualified, and know just how to help you. Easy, right? Maybe not so much. You search online and find an overwhelming number of therapists from which to choose. They all claim to be able to help you solve your problem, and they all look very similar. How do you choose one?

Therapy is important to your mental health and your happiness. Not to mention expensive. So naturally, you want to choose the best therapist. While no one “best therapist” exists for everyone, here are some general guidelines of what look for in a mental health therapist to find the “best therapist for you.”

The Steps To Find The Best Therapist

Ask For Referrals

The first step is to do your due diligence. Ask physicians, psychiatrists, friends, family, and coworkers whose opinions you respect if they know of any therapists that they recommend. Even better is a recommendation from someone who has had a successful psychotherapy experience with a particular therapist.

Now, comes Google’s part — online Internet research. Google is your friend. The Google search engine can provide you with a wealth of information on therapists. Search online for the therapists that were recommended.

Then, search for additional therapists that might also be a good match for you. Search for therapists that treat the problem you’re having. For example use the search term “psychologist near me that treats trauma.”

Now, look at your search results carefully. You’ll notice that there are three main types of results: ads, directories, and therapist websites.

Search Online For Therapists

Therapist Advertisements

The first type of search result will be near the top or on the right side of the search page. These will be paid advertisements. In Google searches, they are identified by the word “Ad” in bold type. Are these the best therapists because they are at the top of the search results? Maybe, maybe not. These results appear first only because the therapist paid Google ads to display their results at the top of the page.

Therapist Directory Listings

The second type of search result will usually be therapist directory listings. These are basically “yellow pages” listings of therapists. You can identify these by reading the web address in the result. If it has a name, for example, like psychologytoday.com or goodtherapy.org it is a therapist directory. Perhaps, you wonder, these are the best therapists, because they are near the top of the results? Alas, not necessarily. These therapist directory listings are usually near the top of the results because therapist directories are cleverly optimized by highly paid search engine optimization specialists. These specialists work for the directories to make sure that the directories’ results are listed as close to the top as possible in Internet searches. Almost all therapists are listed in at least one online directory. This is a paid service. The fact that a therapist is in a directory is not an indication of the therapist’s skill. It is more an indication of the skill of SEO specialists and digital advertising agencies in getting the results to show at the top of the page! Often, these search results will be written to appear as if they belong to an individual therapist’s website when in fact they are one of many therapist listings you will see in that therapist directory if you click on the result.

Individual Therapist and Therapy Practice Websites

The place where you can learn the most about an individual therapist or therapy practice is on that therapist’s or practice’s own website. The reason for is because the two previously mentioned search results (ads, therapist directories) limit the amount of information that can be presented (due to cost or space limitations).

Well, you ask, where do I find the websites of individual therapists? At last, we are getting to that. Typically, the websites of individual therapists will be listed next. Here you will likely see website addresses with the names of therapists (for example, johnsmithphd.com or thehappinesspsychologist.com) or the names of therapy practices (for example, alaskafamilytherapy.com).

Here, finally, is your chance to read the websites of individual therapists and group practices. Now, is it possible that these individual websites are listed high up in the search results because the therapist or practice paid an SEO specialist or digital marketing agency? Sure, that’s possible, but it is here that you have the best opportunity to learn the most about individual therapists. This is because a therapist’s individual website or therapy practice’s website is usually the place where the therapist or practice has had the most latitude in the type and amount of content they present. Here they can tell you as much as they want about themselves. Here they can showcase the quality of the writing, pictures, and style they chose for their website. All of this tells you something about the therapist or practice.

Questions To Ask About The Therapist or Therapy Practice

Here are some suggestions on what to look for when reading a therapist or practice website:

• How professional does the website look? Does it look like a lot of care was put into it? Does it look new and fresh?

• Do they offer therapy for the type of mental health issue for which you’d like help? Common issues treated by mental health therapists include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship issues, and trauma treatment, among others.

• Do they tell you what kind of therapy they use? Common therapy types include psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). More modern therapy types include sensorimotor therapy, accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), somatic therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR). Is the therapist eclectic or integrative? These therapists choose from a variety of therapy types to find the best approach for you.

• Do they tell you where they received their initial education and training? Is their education from a well known university or from a for profit professional school? Look for big name universities and universities that you recognize.

• What type and level of degree did they earn? The most common general professional degrees in decreasing order of time, training, and experience are Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for psychologists, Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) also for psychologists, Mental Health Counselor (MA or MEd) for mental health counselors, and Master of Social Work (MSW) for social workers.

• How much experience do they have providing therapy? Did they just graduate from school? More years of experience often translates to a more skillful provision of psychotherapy.

• Are they licensed by the state or regional board of psychology, counselors, or social work? Licensure is very important because it ensures that at least the minimum level of education and training required for professional practice has been met. There is no legal quality control for unlicensed professionals. Be sure to verify a therapist’s license on the website of the appropriate state board. There you can check to see if their license is current, and if any board actions have been taken against them — not a good sign.

Online Reviews Of Therapists And Therapy Practices

Next, it’s time to find reviews online of the therapists you are interested in. Take these reviews with a big grain of salt, as anyone can post a review and the reason they may have had a good or bad experience may have little to do with the particular therapist but could instead be related to the reviewer. Look for general trends of mostly positive or negative reviews for therapists you’re interested in.

The Final Step

Now, you’ve completed your due diligence in finding and research a therapist online. The final step is to call the offices of the therapists you are most interested in. I recommend you call two or three different therapists and compare the results. Select the therapist you feel is the best match for you and set up an initial appointment.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Do you have any advice to add? Let us know in the comments below!