Today I share some tips and tricks for finding a therapist from my upcoming book due out next year. Though I’m based in Bloomington, Indiana, I get calls and emails every week from parents all over the country looking for advice on how to find a therapist or counselor (or psychiatrist ). Whether your teen or college student is new to therapy or a seasoned client, finding a therapist can be confusing and frustrating. Follow my simple guide below to help.
*Head’s Up! I use the terms therapist, counselor and psychotherapist interchangeably since they are all essentially the same thing.
Online Search. Let’s start by looking through the granddaddy of databases like Psychology Today, NetworkTherapy, GoodTherapy, etc. These databases, while old fashioned and simplistic, are the most comprehensive listing of therapists in your area (I’ll go into more detail about online databases in an upcoming post). Unfortunately, they do a poor job of verifying specialties. So, for instance, you will find therapists that claim to treat all ages, all diagnoses (eg. Depression, Anxiety, Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders) and have expertise in all modalities (eg. DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing). I can assure you, they may have a basic understanding of those diagnoses and modalities, but they are far from deep experts.
Online databases are really good for two things:
- Finding a therapist within your zip code
- Finding a therapist that accepts your insurance
Another good (ok, somewhat good) resource is the database (normally online) kept by your insurance company. Most insurers have client/patient portals where you can look up all the therapists within a geographic area and, obviously, accept your insurance. They rarely have much detail about the therapist but at least you can confirm they are in-network.
Deciphering Credentials. While searching you will likely see a whole bunch of letters after someone’s name. That’s not just egomania about how smart they are – many licensing bodies require clinicians to list their degree (Masters, Doctorate or Medical Doctorate) as well as their license.
For example I’m required in North Carolina, Kentucky and Indiana to list myself in any professional and public manner as Rob Danzman, MS, LPC, LMHC. I have a Masters of Science (the MS) and am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as well as Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) overseen by the boards of licensed counselors in each state. Most licenses are administered by a state licensing board which is where you can go to a) verify a therapist’s license and b) file a complaint against a therapist if they did something wrong while working with you.
Here is a link in Indiana to verify my license. Just type my last name (Danzman) into the search box and click enter. You will see my license information pop up.
Here are a list of other credentials you may see after someone’s name and what they mean:
LPA – Licensed Psychological Associate
LCSW – Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCAS – Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist
LMHC – Licensed Mental Health Counselor
LPCA – Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
LMFT – Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
NCC – National Certified Counselor
RN – Registered Nurse
MS – Masters of Science
MA – Masters of Arts
MSW – Masters of Social Work
DSW – Doctorate of Social Work
PhD – Doctorate of Philosophy
Psy.D – Doctorate of Psychology
Ed.D – Doctorate of Education
MD – Medical Doctor
DO – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Now for a bit more detail on the most common types of mental health professional you’ll run into.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician (doctor of medicine [M.D.] or doctor of osteopathic medicine [D.O.]) who specializes in mental health. This type of doctor may further specialize in areas such as child and adolescent, geriatric, or addiction psychiatry. A psychiatrist can perform the following though they primarily prescribe medication:
- Diagnose and treat mental health disorders
- Provide psychological counseling, also called psychotherapy
- Prescribe medication
Psychologist
A psychologist is trained in psychology — a science that deals with thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Typically, a psychologist holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D.). A psychologist:
- Can diagnose and treat a number of mental health disorders, providing psychological counseling, in one-on-one or group settings
- Cannot prescribe medication unless he or she is licensed to do so
- May work with another provider who can prescribe medication if needed
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
A psychiatric mental health nurse (P.M.H.N.) is a registered nurse with training in mental health issues. A psychiatric-mental health advanced practice registered nurse (P.M.H.-A.P.R.N.) has at least a master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing. Other types of advanced practice nurses able to provide mental health services include a clinical nurse specialist (C.N.S.), a certified nurse practitioner (C.N.P) or a doctorate of nursing practice (D.N.P.). Mental health nurses:
- Vary in the services they can offer, depending on their education, level of training, experience and state law
- Can assess, diagnose and treat mental illnesses, depending on their education, training and experience
- Can prescribe medication in some states if they’re an advanced practice nurse
Physician Assistant
A certified physician assistant (P.A.-C.) practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. Physician assistants can specialize in psychiatry. These physician assistants can:
- Diagnose and treat mental health disorders
- Provide psychological counseling, also called psychotherapy
- Prescribe medication
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
If you prefer a social worker, look for a licensed clinical social worker (L.C.S.W.) with training and experience specifically in mental health. A licensed clinical social worker must have a master’s degree in social work (M.S.W.), a Master of Science in social work (M.S.S.W.) or a doctorate in social work (D.S.W. or Ph.D.). These social workers:
- Provide assessment, psychological counseling and a range of other services, depending on their licensing and training
- Does not prescribe medication
- May work with another provider who can prescribe medication if needed
Licensed Professional Counselor or Mental Health Counselor
Training required for a licensed professional counselor (L.P.C.) and (L.M.H.C.) varies slightly by state, but most have at least a master’s degree with clinical experience. These counselors:
- Provide diagnosis and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) for a range of concerns
- Does not prescribe medication
- May work with another provider who can prescribe medication if needed
Background Checks. I’m not talking about running their info through the FBI to find out if they are criminals. When considering whether to work with a therapist, google their name, look up their info on the state licensing board’s website (if the state has one), and ask for clients or colleagues that could provide a referral. Asking for a referral is a bit unorthodox and most therapists wouldn’t know how to respond but it doesn’t hurt to ask. When perspective clients ask for referrals, I explain that because of HIPAA rules, I can’t just hand over a previous client’s contact info. What I can do is contact previous clients and ask if they would be willing to provide feedback to the perspective client. It’s tricky since I want to protect privacy and not put any sort of burden on the client.
Questions to Ask. Real simply put, you and your teen or college kid is interviewing someone to hire them for a job (counseling). Treat it like an interview and have a plan. Here are the list of questions you need to ask when considering whether or not to work with a therapist (print this off if needed):
- What training do you have to treat the issues I described?
- Please give me an example of how you would work with me on the issues I described?
- What are your communication policies between sessions?
- Have you ever had your license suspended or removed in this or another state?
- How do you use technology in your practice? Is your agency able to provide weekly and 24 hr reminders prior to sessions?
- If I need a different type of care or different level of care, what’s your experience in working with referral sources?
- Are you in-network, out-of-network with my insurance? Do you have someone in your practice that files claims and works with insurance?
First Session. Show up early and come with any additional questions, concerns, goals or obstacles regarding your issues. I love it when parents show up with a page or more of thoughts, questions and random ideas. It not only helps me zero-in on a diagnostic impression but also helps me understand how the family operates and what their values are. If this is a session set up for your college kid, be confident and let the therapist know you want to sit in on the first 30 min to download some history and concerns from your perspective. It’s also a great time to sign a release of information so the therapist can legally speak with you between sessions. If the therapist is working remotely near campus in preparation for your kid to head back for the coming semester, make it clear you need to be kept in the loop and your son/daughter will be signing the release of information asap.
For more on finding a therapist, contact me with specific questions or ask to be put on the wait list for the book that covers this and just about every other topic parents of teens and college kids could need.