When looking for a new therapist online, whenever possible, look in the places most likely to attract therapists interested in your issue, i.e., the professional associations for your concern that offer professional directories.

Examples:

• for ADHD, check out CHADD, Children & Adults with ADD at chadd.org and ADDA, the Attention Deficit Disorder Association at  add.org 
• for anxiety, ADAA, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America at adaa.org 
• for OCD, IOCDF, the International OCD Foundation at iacdaf.org

​Should you want to stay local, look for professional associations in your county or area with directories. Around here, that includes:

• the Ventura County Psychological Association at venturacountypsych.com
• the Mental Health Professionals of the Conejo Valley at mentalhealthconejo.org
• the LA County Psychological Association at lacpa.org
• the Santa Barbara County Psychological Association at sbcpa.org 

If you want to find someone who takes your insurance, insurance company websites usually list their contracted providers. Be sure to check the details regarding copays and deductible. 

There are many general directories that come in various flavors. A few examples:

• Psychology Today Therapist directory - the biggest
• GoodTherapy.org - another broadly based directory
• Therapy Den - inclusive, intersectional
• Open Path Psychotherapy Collective - therapists offering services at low-cost and sliding scale

Tip: if a therapist has a website, always check it out before contacting them. Many of the questions prospective clients ask about fees, insurance and areas of expertise can be addressed in  more detail there than in a directory listing. Doing a little research will save you (and us) time and energy.

For more tips finding your new therapist, see Part 1

...and it seems like no one is accepting new clients, me included. It could even hard to get someone to call you back.

What to do?

A. Don't take it personally. Many therapists are extra busy these days. 2020-2021 has (a) been incredibly stressful, which, (b) is reducing the stigma around getting therapy, resulting in an increased demand for services.

B. Keep in mind that it's normal for the process to take a while, especially now. Keep trying. 

C. Widen your net - if you're okay with doing therapy via telehealth, you can see any mental health professional licensed in your state. 

D. Pique our interest - think about what you'd like to get out of therapy - not only the problem(s), but also what you're hoping to gain or to become. We therapists tend to be suckers for hope - so mention yours when you contact us. 

E. In your message, be sure to mention that you've looked at our website (after having done so, of course) and are very interested in working with us. 

F. About the (lack of) call backs - unlike doctors, most of us in private practice don't have admin help to run our small businesses. When we're full up, returning inquiry calls can, unfortunately, fall to the bottom of the to-do list. 

Suggestion - frame your inquiry so that no reply means no openings, like this:

See how that works? If you don't hear back, it's safe to assume they don't have any openings. The therapist will appreciate your courtesy and you're less likely to feel you've been ghosted. 

G. Don't be afraid to call again, in a "I know you're busy so I'm checking back" kind of way. 


Next up, Part 2 - online therapist directories.