Questions to ask a Therapist on Long Island
What to ask a Therapist on Long Island
You searched for therapists on Long Island and have narrowed it down to a few that you think could be a good fit for you!
You scheduled your consultation call, and now what? What questions should you ask them to determine if this is the therapist for you?
Questions to ask a Therapist on Long Island
Getting ready for your consultation call can feel intimidating. You probably don’t know exactly what to expect or who should be driving the conversation. You don’t have to go through this alone! You can expect that the therapist likely will guide the call. This is what we do, so it is to be expected that we do our best to guide the conversation and answer your questions before you even ask. Whenever I am on a consultation call, I give you all of the necessary information about myself, my experience and how I typically work. Then, I will ask if you have any questions for me.
Here are some questions that you may want to ask if the therapist hadn’t already answered them:
Ask about their experience with working with whatever concern you are bringing to therapy. Ie: “I believe I am struggling with Depression, what is your experience with working with someone who struggles with Depression?” Or “I struggle with my relationship with food, do you typically work with this type of struggle?”
Will sessions be held via phone, online, or in-person? If in-person, where is the office located? If online, are they using a HIPAA-compliant platform that protects your confidentiality and privacy?
Ask about the financials: Do they accept your insurance? If not, what is their private pay rate and will they supply you with a Superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement?
What is their availability and will you have a set appointment time every week? You want to make sure that you are able to work within the availability that they have. Some therapists prefer having flexible schedules where the time that the client and them meet may vary from week to week. This is great if you need more flexibility or have a changing work schedule. For myself, I prefer to have a set time that I see my clients each week so that we both know that that time is dedicated to that client’s treatment and we never have to worry about scheduling issues.
Here’s another tip - check in to see how you feel after the call. Sure, you may feel overwhelmed and a bit nervous, but did you feel a connection or a sense of comfort after talking to this therapist? Do you believe that they may be a good fit for you? If so, then the next step would be to schedule an intake with them and the therapist will help you with that.
The Next Step to Getting a Therapist on Long Island
I hope that this helps you in finding the right therapist for you on Long Island. If you’re still feeling stuck, feel free to contact me to schedule free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and see if I could help you or get you to the right person.
If you are still looking for a therapist, you can read more about how I can help here.