Rane Wallace, MS, LPC, LCDC, SAP
- Do you want to find counselors and therapists in Fort Worth but don’t know where to start?
- Finding a therapist can be overwhelming. I created this article to help make finding one easier for you.
- I will provide you a list of questions you can ask any potential therapists before getting started.
- After reading this article, you’ll know how to find a therapist near Fort Worth, TX so you can get started with therapy right away.
Narrow Down the Choices
With so many choices out there, let me simplify the process. But how? By narrowing it down. Anytime anyone asks me about finding a therapist – I like to break it down into a quadrant by asking these two questions:
- Do you want to go through your health insurance provider or private pay?
- Do you want a male or female therapist?
|
Takes Insurance |
Private Pay |
|
|
Male |
Male Therapist Takes Insurance |
Male Therapist Private Pay |
|
Female |
Female Therapist Takes Insurance |
Female Therapist Private Pay |
Before deciding on the insurance part, know why some therapists do not accept health insurance by reading this informative article: The Real Reasons (That Nobody Tells You) About Why Therapists Don’t Accept Insurance by Dr. Sarah Schewitz.
The following are highlights found in the article:
- Less confidentiality
- Higher insurance premiums & requirement to diagnose you with a mental health disorder
- Insurance-driven treatment (not individualized but manualized)
- Questionable quality
Presenting Issue in Therapy
An important part to consider is the presenting problem for why you want to attend therapy. Make sure the therapist works with your presenting concern – such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc. You can check out their website to get a list of services provided – Click here to see the services that we provide at Fort Wellness Counseling. Keep in mind most patients come to therapy for several reasons. Don’t forget about the age demographic the therapist works with. If you are an adult, make sure the therapist works with adults and so forth.
Therapists Office Location and Hours of Service
Now that I have narrowed down the process with insurance, gender, presenting issue and age, it’s time to talk about location and their hours of service. The saying goes, location, location, location! So, don’t forget about the office location! The further away, the harder it will be for you to attend consistently. You might find it helpful to find something closer to your home or work and at a central location.
Next, find out the hours the therapist is available to see you and if that will work for your schedule. If you need to see someone after work, and the therapist only sees clients Monday thru Friday from 10am to 4pm, that isn’t going to work. Make sure they are at a good location for you and that they can work with your schedule. In this day in age, you should also think about whether you would want to do any sessions virtually and if the clinician is willing to do that for some of your counseling sessions.
Investing in Yourself
Now, onto another important aspect to consider when finding a therapist. How much is it going to cost per session? The more important question to ask yourself is this, how much am I willing to invest in myself? Consider the quality of the therapist when you determine how much you are willing to spend.
Most therapists provide the costs of services on their website to be transparent. You can find my rates here. If the rates are not listed, ask, so there aren’t any surprises at the door.
If finances are tight, consider going through your health insurance or at a non-profit community counseling center. Some of these non-profit community resources include but are not limited to:
- Texas Wesleyan Community Counseling Center
- The Women’s Center of Tarrant County
- Lena Pope
- JPS Health Network
- MHMR of Tarrant County
Don’t let financial stressors prevent you from getting the support you deserve.
The Therapeutic Alliance
Research shows that one of the biggest predictors in the success of therapy is what is referred to as the Therapeutic Alliance. The Therapeutic Alliance is the working relationship between you and the therapist. It’s important that you have a therapist that you can connect with. It is important that you find a therapist that fits your needs so you can achieve better results.
To get a feel for the therapist, look at their website, read their bio page, see what people have said about them, see if they have any reviews, if they have any testimonials, ask friends and family, etc. After reading those you should have an idea on whether that person is someone that you can connect with.
Free Therapy Consultations with Therapists
A lot of therapists in Fort Worth provide free consultations where you can set up a quick phone call to ask them some questions and see if they will be a good fit for you. Consider calling or emailing the therapist to discuss some of the questions you might have. If you want to reach out to me, know that you can ask me anything! Just shoot me an email and we can get some scheduled. Below are some questions that you can ask the therapist during your consultation.
10 Common Questions to Ask Therapists
- What’s your training (i.e., what licensure, certification or degrees do you hold)?
- How long have you worked in this field?
- What kinds of treatment or therapy do you think might help me?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to treatment?
- How does the type of treatment you offer work?
- What are the chances that treatment will succeed?
- How soon should I start feeling better?
- How will we assess my progress?
- What should I do if I don’t feel better?
- How much will each counseling sessions cost and how long are they?
Helpful Resources
Do you have any friends or family members that have attended therapy? Are you comfortable reaching out to them to see if that have any suggestions? You can also check with your primary care physician, psychiatrist, and other healthcare providers. You can also look at Psychology Today. On their website, you type in your city or zip code, and it will provide you a list of therapists near you. You can even filter your results with the following:
- Presenting Issues for therapy (such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc.)
- Insurance Provider
- Therapist Gender
- Types of Therapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, etc.)
- Client Age (such as children, adolescents, adults, etc.)
- Price ($ =Less Than $90, $$ = $90 to $130, $$$ – More Than $130).
- And several others!
If you want to go through your insurance provider, you can contact the phone number on the back of your health insurance card and ask for a list of Fort Worth therapists and counselors that are covered on your plan. Other resources for finding a therapist include calling 2-1-1 and the Tarrant Cares website.
Start Therapy Today
Are you ready to schedule a counseling session? You can schedule a session with me by clicking here, contact me or by calling Fort Wellness Counseling at 682-232-4003. Do you want to read some more blog articles? See some of the other blog articles here.
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