Questions to ask a psychologist, counselor, or therapist in Wakefield, MA
Asking great questions can help you find a great Wakefield therapist!
Choosing to find a therapist is a really positive step and finding the right therapist can make a big difference to getting the most out of your therapy experience. By this time, you have spoken to friends, scrolled through local Facebook groups, diligently Googled away and you have narrowed your list of potential therapists. Hooray!
It is now time to book some consultations, yet eek! That sounds awkward! What do you do next? What do you ask them? What are they going to ask you? Is there anything you shouldn’t ask?
Questions to ask a therapist in Wakefield
Experience:
If it is important to you, you might want to ask about the therapist’s experience. This could be their training or their experience with specific matters you hope they can help you with during therapy. If this isn’t important to you, that’s okay. Skip it!
You can ask things like, “have you ever worked with trauma survivors?” or “have you ever worked with anyone while they came out to their parents?” or “have you ever had anyone else come to you for grief over their pet?”
You can also explore topics like, or “how long have you been a therapist?” and “are you comfortable working with people on a lot of medication?” or “why did you become a therapist?”
For example, I am very comfortable working with individuals who take multiple psychiatric medications or who are undergoing treatments such as TMS and ECT. On the other hand, I am less confident working with individuals with severe substance use challenges, so we would learn that in the consultation and I could refer them to a colleague.
Logistics:
Sometimes logistics can be critical to continuing in therapy because a schedule mis-match can create insurmountable challenges.
Consider questions such as:
What days and hours do you see clients?
How often will you want to see me? Weekly? Every other week?
Will I always have the same time in the schedule or will it vary from session to session?
How long are sessions with you?
How much does therapy cost with you/do you take my insurance?
Is parking available at your office? Should I plan time to drive around to get a spot or should I plan to pay a meter?
Are you available on public transit?
For example, I generally see individuals for therapy two days a week. I do have morning and evening hours on those days, so we would need to ensure that you could make time one of those days to see me. Sometimes I can accommodate a one-off appointment on a different day, but it will only be over telehealth. Other therapists may be available on weekends or later in the evening. Sessions with me are 45-50 minutes long and I try to have people in a consistent time slot.
In-person vs Online Therapy:
Ensure your preference is available! Consider questions such as:
If we usually meet in person, can we switch to online if I’m running late?
I travel a lot for work, can we still meet while I’m travelling?
Is your office handicap-accessible?
For me, I do therapy both in-person in Wakefield, MA and online and I am flexible for you to meet in whichever way works best for you, even if that fluctuates week to week. I usually simply ask that you give me a heads-up by your appointment time so I am not waiting on the computer for you when you are in the waiting room or vice versa! Other clinicians have dedicated days for in-person or online appointments, so it may be challenging on the schedule to bounce between the two.
Therapeutic Approach:
Some therapists are highly specialized in one or two modalities of therapy, while other therapists draw from a variety of different theories and approaches in their work. If you have a preference, definitely explore that with a potential therapist! If you don’t really care and just want to get better, that is totally okay too. A good therapist will always refer you to a colleague if they feel you would benefit from a different specialty or more specialized care.
If you want to explore the therapist’s approach, you can ask questions like:
Do you have a specific way of doing therapy?
What therapy model do you use most?
Are you trained in DBT? EMDR? (or any other specific modality that interests you)
For example, I draw from a variety of different modalities for therapy, yet always with a backbone in Solution-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy, which are less commonly known than forms of therapy like CBT or DBT, though I use principles of CBT, DBT and more in my work. I am personally not trained in interventions like EMDR or brainspotting, so would recommend that we find you another therapist if you are looking for those specifically.
Financials:
While it would be nice if therapy was free for everyone, that is not the case at this time. It is important to ensure that therapy is financially sustainable for you. To find out the expense, you can explore:
What are your rates?
Do you take insurance?
Are there ever extra fees?
How do I make payments?
For example, some therapists work with a wide range of insurance companies. For many reasons, I am not currently contracted with any insurance companies, which means I am considered an “out of network” provider. Many insurance companies still offer reimbursement for this arrangement and we could discuss those details in your consultation call.
What should I NOT ask a therapist?
It is honestly hard to think of questions that are not okay! It is important to know that if you don’t have any questions, that is perfectly okay and there is no need to ask questions for the sake of asking questions. There is very limited time in consultations, the time will pass quickly and the therapist will have question for you. There is no need to fill it with things that do not matter to you or do not help you make your decision.
What if what I really want to ask might offend the therapist?
I think of it this way: is a therapist who is offended by your question the right therapist for you? If not, then you might have found a very important question to ask in the consultation that could save you a lot of time in a poor fit! Yet there is no reason to be provocative for the sake of it.
I firmly believe that as professional therapists, we have the right to say that we do not want to answer questions if they feel too personal or do not feel appropriate to us. So we can simply let you know if a question is something we would rather wait to answer or not answer at all, and you can let that response guide your decision-making.
Many of us were initially trained to be very aloof about personal matters, particularly our age, marital status, parenting status, where we live and if our absences are for illness or vacation. Over time, the culture in therapy has changed dramatically (I personally think for the better) and many therapists are much more open about these topics. I personally feel pretty comfortable answering many personal questions, but that is not true for everyone. For example, I am happy to share that I was not raised in New England, I have kids and I’m kind of obsessively in love with the beach, even though I’m not a big fan of New England beaches. Would I want to answer questions about my childhood upbringing? I might have that wait until we know one another better, though I will certainly be curious how you hope that could connect us as I trust there is something you are hoping to hear that can help you decide if you can trust me.
Consider what you are looking for in your question. Usually it is simply, “can this person help me?” Then ask yourself if your question will really get you an answer. As therapists, we have training and experience that helps us support people with things we might never experience in our own lives. Yet sometimes, sharing personal experience gives us much greater insight and does allow us to be more effective. Was I able to provide effective therapy for parents before I became a parent myself? Sure, yet I am also certain that I am much more effective now that I have more direct insight to the experience.
Usually asking someone’s age or years of experience won’t really get the answer to “can this therapist help me?”, though sometimes certain dynamics may feel really important to you. You get to decide, you get to ask and the therapist gets to answer however they see fit. Then you get to decide how you feel about their answer as you make your decision.
Remember, this is only the consultation and if you move forward, you have more time to build the relationship.
What a therapist might ask you during a consultation
Most therapists enjoy doing consultations to learn a little about you to make sure that you are likely to be a good fit. We want to make sure that we feel ready to help you and feel that our skills and experience have something to offer you. While we wish it could be perfect, we do our best with only ~15 minutes!
In your consultation, a therapist may ask you questions like:
Your reasons for therapy at this time:
Why you are looking to start therapy? - This helps therapists get an immediate sense of whether or not they can be helpful to you. For example, if someone comes to me saying they just got the promotion they wanted at work and yet they feel numb about it and then feel guilty for not being more excited and grateful, I am confident that is someone I can help. On the other hand, if someone comes to me saying they are trying to find early sobriety from alcohol, I will refer them to a colleague with more experience helping people through that stage of sobriety.
Have you been in therapy before? - This helps us get a sense of your familiarity with therapy, even though therapy can be very, very different with different therapists. The answer simply gives us a glimpse of your possible experience.
Do you have other providers on your treatment team? It can help to know if you have a psychiatrist, involved PCP or pediatrician, a couples therapist or other provider on your team. Sometimes, we know one another professionally and look forward to collaboration opportunities. Other times, it gives us a little glimpse into some of the challenges you may be facing, based on that other provider’s specialty.
Logistics
Checking if schedules will align
Confirming that the frequency we meet with people for therapy with the best effect works in your schedule
Financial accessibility - ensuring that you are able to afford fees and payment structure
Starting therapy can be intimidating but hopefully also exciting and encouraging to be moving forward. By asking the questions important to you, you can get the most out of a consultation to start with a therapist who will be a good fit for you.
Find a therapist in Wakefield, MA
Looking for a compassionate and effective therapist in Wakefield, MA? Whether you are entering therapy for the first time or looking to reconnect with the process, I offer a welcoming, supportive space to explore your challenges and goals. With the flexibility of in-person and online therapy, we can find a space for therapy in your lifestyle and schedule.
Specializing in working with young adults and adults during life transitions as well as with caregivers, I am committed to finding strategies to have you feeling your best. Are you ready to take the next step? Let’s connect over a free, 15-minute phone consultation for therapy in Wakefield.