For whatever reason, it has become common advice to “interview” your therapist before beginning treatment. I find that the common questions advised are unhelpful to the person asking and confusing to the person answering. I’ll explain the questions I’ve seen, why they are unhelpful, and what might be more useful to ask instead.
Side note: Have you ever heard of "interviewing" a podiatrist? This seems
to be an expectation for mental health providers, rather than medical doctors,
to "prove" themselves.
Knowledge is power when it comes to getting quality mental health treatment! I want to empower you to really find out if your potential therapist is a good fit for yourself or child.
What Not to Ask
Q: How many patients have you treated with X condition?
First of all, I don’t keep my stats in my head! If I wanted to give an honest answer, I would have to get some reference data. After all that, I might come up with a number like 37, and that would seem unsatisfying.
1. Remember that we’re not surgeons churning out multiple people per day. We’re not going to have numbers in the 100s or 1000s necessarily until we’re well into our careers. And then we would just say something like, “I have 30+ years of experience treating X.”
2. This number would be based on completed cases. We might have dropout that would impact the total.
3. Numbers are not the most important thing. If I treated two people under supervision from an expert in the disorder, that might give me better experience than treating 100 people by just guessing what I should do.
Q: How many years of experience do you have?
Years of experience is a tricky one. You could see a trainee, predoctoral intern, or postdoctoral fellow [all of these would be non-licensed clinicians] who is absolutely excellent and being supervised by an expert in the field. Someone with many years of experience could own a successful practice, have 100s of publications, or other major qualifications. They could also have not learned anything new since graduate school and be extremely behind on the latest and greatest in the field of mental health. Other factors are more important than just passive years of experience.
Giving a full summary of your concerns. Q: Is this something you do?
I’m referring here to trying to explain everything going on in your life in a short phone call or an email. The intent of the intake session is to give a full history and summary of your symptoms and allow the therapist to interview you based on their expertise. Generally, we have gathered some sort of information about you to understand that you seem a reasonable fit for scheduling an intake. Sometimes, in the intake, we might be thinking of something in a different way than you are, which leads us to believe we are not the best fit for your needs. In that case, we will guide you toward the best provider/treatment for your concerns. This is no one’s fault, and not even a bad thing, if you come in for intake and need to be referred to another provider.
I understand that people want to mitigate that risk by having a screening call or email. Sometimes, though, it is really tough for us to answer this question until we have full information on you/your child, which may even extend beyond the intake session.
Q: What is your philosophy on helping?
That is quite the question! Remember that therapists, too, are human. It might be hard to answer such a broad question on the spot, and it would be unclear what you are wanting to learn from the answer to this question. More specific questions are much more helpful for ensuring a good fit for treatment.
Q: What is your approach to working with children?
I actually think this is a reasonable question; however, no matter how I answer it, parents have been displeased with my response. Again, this is a pretty broad question. You might want to ask more specifically what you want to know, which could be...
How are parents involved in treatment?
How do you make therapy child-friendly?
How do you make CBT appropriate for young children?
How much are parents involved in teen treatment?
What to Ask
First, I actually don’t recommend doing a phone interview with your potential therapist if they have a solid website and/or online presence. Setting up the phone call will just delay you in getting scheduled and, as discussed above, still not guarantee that you find the perfect fit. I would suggest a phone call if the therapist does not exist on the internet. But you also might want to question why that is the case. I’m going to teach you everything you would want to pull from the internet to understand whether this therapist may be a good fit for you and your needs.
Here is a strategy for selecting a therapist based on their online presence...
Check their education
o A mental health therapist should have a master’s in counseling or social work (LMFT, LCSW, LPC) or a doctorate in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.). They might also be a student currently completing these degrees.
o Their graduate program should be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or equivalent, which you can check here.
o Check out where they completed their predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship (if applicable). Look out for recognizable names such as hospitals, universities, and well-established clinics.
Check their licensure
o The therapist or their supervisor should be licensed in the state where you will be present for therapy. You can check this with their state psychology or counseling licensing board.
o Note: You shouldn’t normally have to check this, but it is possible for someone to lose their license due to poor behavior.
Check their training and credentials
o Look for certifications in types of therapy or treating certain mental health conditions. For example, BTTI is a certification for OCD treatment.
o Look for expert credentials, such as board certification (ABPP).
o Look for training experiences with specific populations: for example, children, LGBTQ, or Spanish-speaking.
Look for research experience and professional presentations
o See if they list any publications or presentations. Either a large number, recent publications, or topics related to your/your child’s mental health condition would be pros.
Search for their social media
o Your therapist might have an active presence through social media platforms or blogs. See if their content is in line with your needs and preferences.
Review their bio
See what they say about their work and therapeutic approach. A red flag would be very vague language about what they do in therapy. Beware of ‘therapy speak’ such as “eclectic approach,” “life coach,” and “reaching your potential.”
o See what you can glean about them personally. You might enjoy seeing that they are a member of the same community as you are or they have a cute dog.
Find them on professional listings
o NOT just Psychology Today. Look for their profiles on the websites of professional organizations, such as the APA or associations related to a specific type of therapy or mental health condition(s). For example, an OCD expert would likely have a listing through the IOCDF.
Check out their employer
o If they work for a hospital or university, find out the reputation of that setting.
o If they work for a group private practice, check out the scope and reputation of that practice.
o Although definitely possible, hopefully a bad provider would not be able to remain employed within a reputable setting.
Check for financial and logistical information
Look for their fees, whether they accept insurance directly, their hours, whether they provide in-person or virtual therapy, etc. If these are not listed, they are the kind of questions you would want to ask before beginning therapy! These factual questions, of course, can be answered by a practice manager or through a quick email.
Using these tips will help you to select a therapist that is reasonably qualified. From there, they should give you guidance if they are not the best fit for your needs.
If you have all of this information and you still have a very specific question, ask the therapist if this is something to discuss over a phone call! Examples of these questions might include:
I am stepping down from a PHP program. Are you able to see me for
outpatient therapy?
I see that you treat Selective Mutism in younger children. Would you work with a
16-year-old?
Are you able to work with someone with a history of addiction?
Remember, it can take a few tries before finding the right therapist or approach for your needs. Even if you find someone amazing on your first try, you might eventually need someone else for a new/different concern.
Would you add anything to this list of strategies? Comment below!
P. S. I was thinking that someone might ask, Do you just hate to talk on the phone? I promise this is not just about my personal communication preferences! I will call someone when I want to make sure they are a good fit for what I provide.
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