Consultation Questions to Ask Your Potential Therapist

You’ve made the decision to begin therapy and reach out to potential therapists. How do you know which one is the right fit for you? Some therapists offer free brief consultation calls which provide an opportunity for you to ask some of these important questions.

What modalities do you use?

Even if you aren’t an expert in CBT, DBT, EMDR, or other therapy modalities, you can get a sense of what sessions might look like with your therapist. 

Similar questions are:

• What would a typical session look like? 

• How structured are sessions?

• How do we maintain progress between sessions?

What’s your experience working with ___?

You can fill in the blank with your specific concerns, your diagnoses, your identities, or more. For example,

• What’s your experience working with women going through postpartum depression?

• What kind of training do you have on working with late-diagnosed autistic women?

• How do you approach working with people who have complex family histories?

What logistics do I need to know?

This can involve anything relating to their flexibility with lateness, any additional fees, or anything else you’re curious about, such as:

• Do you accept [your insurance]?

• What out-of-pocket fees do you have?

• Do you offer a sliding scale?

• What availability do you have? Do you have weekend or evening availability?

• What is your cancellation policy?

• Do you offer flexibility on telehealth and in-person sessions?

• Can you communicate with my medication prescriber?

How will we check in on my goals?

This can involve measures of progress and also set an expectation on if the therapist expects to work more short-term or long-term. Some questions might be:

• How long do you usually work with clients that are experiencing [this concern]?

• Will we do any assessments or questionnaires to track my symptoms?

• What will it look like to check in on our progress?

What happens if we’re not a good fit?

Even if the consultation goes well, circumstances may change to show that your therapist might not be a helpful fit for you. This can happen because they no longer accept your insurance, because you’re moving out of state, because they diagnose you with something outside of their expertise, or because the rapport simply isn’t as strong as you’d expected it to be. Consider the following questions:

• Will you be able to refer me to someone else?

• How would my records be transferred to a different therapist?

The therapeutic relationship is incredibly important. Therapy can be vulnerable and scary, and we want you to feel empowered by your therapist and supported in your journey. Take your time to consider what factors would be helpful for you in therapy and make your decision thoughtfully!