How To Reach Out To A Therapist: Tips and Script
If you’ve read my previous blog posts in my Beginning Therapy Series, you’ve already asked yourself these Five Questions Before Starting Therapy and have learned How To Find A Therapist. The next logical step will be choosing a therapist to reach out to and actually contacting them. If you are someone who gets phone anxiety or overthinks every email they send, sometimes this can be a difficult task in and of itself. So I want to try and take some of the guesswork out of how to go about reaching out to a therapist. Additionally, I’ll talk about what to expect in a “free 15-minute consultation” that many therapists will set up prior to scheduling an appointment with you. Choosing a therapist is an important decision, and taking some time looking at your options is absolutely encouraged, but at a certain point you need to narrow down what therapists you are interested in working with and reach out!
To start, remind yourself of the questions you asked yourself during part one of my Beginning Therapy Series. As a brief reminder, consider what qualities are important for you to have in your therapist. This might include their demographics, therapeutic approach, their fees or if they take insurance, if they offer in-person or online services, etc. Also think about what you are hoping to achieve in therapy, for example: decreasing symptoms of anxiety, increasing positive relationships, increasing understanding of you and your identity. You’ll want to look for therapists who focus on these. Read through their website or bio and see if it feels like they understand what you are experiencing and show knowledge of ways to help you. Now that you’ve found some options for therapists, what do you do next?
How do I reach out?
The next step will be reaching out. If able, I recommend reaching out to a few therapists if you have found them. Some therapists might not have openings, have changes in fees since they last updated their website, or not be as responsive as others. So find a few therapists to reach out to! Therapists will usually have one of three methods to schedule with them:
Call the number listed on their website. The therapist you are reaching out to may not answer, so be prepared to leave a voicemail.
Email them via the email on their website.
Contact them through their website. Many directories and websites will have a button for contacting a therapist that will link you to a form to submit, or sometimes even a place to directly schedule online with a therapist.
What should I say?
Here is a script that I have used and have shared with people in the past. You can adapt this to fit your own style or needs, and I think it can be easily adapted to email or voicemail.
Hi [therapist],
My name is [name] and I am hoping to start individual therapy for concerns around [short description of what is bringing you to therapy]. I saw your information online and thought we might be a good match. I [have (insert insurance) or am paying out of pocket] and wanted to see whether you have any upcoming openings. If not, I'd also be interested in a waitlist if you keep one. You can [email and/or call] me at [insert email and/or phone number]. If able, I'd love to do a consult to see if we are a good fit! I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
Best,
[Name]
Following this, you may engage in a little back and forth email or phone tag to set up a consultation or first session. It can sometimes be helpful to include in the message good times to give you a call back if you have a busy schedule. Pay attention to your phone or email so that you can get all set and scheduled with your therapist.
What does setting up a consultation mean?
Many therapists will say something along the lines of “I offer free 15-minute consultations.” Not all therapists will offer consultations, but I find that they can be helpful as both a client and a therapist. However, not everyone finds them necessary! A consultation call can be a time for therapists to get to know a little bit about you to make sure that they offer the services you are looking for and also for you to start getting a feel for them and if they might be a good fit for you. This is also a perfect place to ask any initial questions you might have (there will be plenty more time for questions in your first session, so don’t worry if you think of more later). Assuming things feel like a good fit and the therapist has openings that match with your schedule, they will then review what you need to do to prepare for your first session, usually paperwork.
What does it mean to find a therapist who is a good fit?
Looking for a good fit with a therapist seems to be the magical phrase many people talk about when looking for a therapist. I know I’ve used the phrase many times already throughout my Beginning Therapy Series! But how do you find a therapist who is a good fit? Learn more about that here. If you are interested in reaching out to work with me, click here to fill out my online form or email me at carolyn@carolynmeillerphd.com and we can set up a free 15-minute consultation!
About the Author:
Carolyn Meiller, PhD is a virtual therapist in Lexington, Kentucky. She works with adults around concerns related to anxiety, relationship issues, interpersonal trauma, and identity development. Prior to starting her private practice, she worked in various settings, including 6 years in university counseling centers where she often worked with clients who were new to therapy. Carolyn has a passion for helping people who are nervous to starting therapy gain a better understanding of what to expect from therapy and how to get the most out of their experience.
