if you dont mind my asking...

where do you see your therapist? like, are they a private practice, part of a group practice, working at an agency of some sort or a hospital? and also, how did you find your therapist? word of mouth, through your insurance, on the internet?

my old therapist was recommended to me by one of my favorite professors. she said, i think you would really like her, and she was right! i really did. and i would probably still be seeing her now if she didnt have to move with her dumb old husband! she was part of a group practice.

meanwhile my first therapist was my friend's therapist and she loooooved her, so i thought i would see her. she was older and retired from her previous positions. she had her own private practice.

having been a student for the past 10 years or so, i havent really had the best of insurance, so i dont have any experience finding a therapist that way. have any of you? has it been a good match?

just wondering

My therapist has a private practice now, when I first started seeing her she worked for an agency. I met her by applying for disability medicaid, they sent me for an evaluation and she sat in on the evaluation, it was her first day. I really like my current therapist but if I ever need a new one I already have someone in mind, a therapist I have met in group therapy.

First therapist: found her through my EAP, which only gave out names of therapists on my insurance plan. She was OK for a time, but her skill set was not deep, and I outgrew what she had to offer. I can't say she was a particularly good match for me and my needs. She was in private practice.

Current therapist: a colleague of a friend recommended him for my particular issue and my friend passed the name on to me. So I guess I would say I found him by private referral. He turned out to be perfect for my needs. He is in private practice.

Family therapist: my current T referred me to him for family therapy with my daughter and me. He was really good. No complaints. He is in private practice.

Daughter's therapist: my current T gave me her name. She's been great. She is in private practice.

My PNP: referral from my current T. She's really good. She is in private practice.

I think a great way is to get referrals from trusted friends, colleagues, and healthcare practitioners. (For example, ask your doctor for referrals, or ask a T you know and respect, or a pdoc if you have one.)

Some of the therapists I mentioned above share a waiting room, but they are not a group practice. I think it is very common locally for therapists to be in private practice, even the ones who are part of my insurance plan. The clinic my GP practices at is just for medical docs (many specialties as well as GPs) and has no therapists (or pdocs either). I did ask my GP once for a referral for a child therapist, and he had a hard time producing any names, so I think they are just not very tied into mental health concerns at this practice. I guess I assumed therapists at a hospital would be for in-patient treatment ("hospitalists").

DM, are you in practice now? If so, how do you find your clients? Or if still in training, how do you expect to find clients when you are independent? Did they teach you much about things like that--the business side of therapy--during your training?

My therapist is part of a group practice type deal. It's a clinic that offers a lot of health services from general practice to obstetrics to nursing stuff to mental health. I was referred to him through a GP in that clinic that I saw.

Mine is in private practice. I found him online...on a site where I could read the descriptions and see the pictures of lots of different therapists. I liked his description, and he was on my insurance.

He does share a waiting room with 2 other therapists, but each has their own private practice.

T was a referal from a friend who was seeing her at the time and thought she'd be good. She's in private practice.

pdoc = in hospital got referral from T - they both teach at the same med school.

addictions Dr. came with the program, affiliated with the hospital addictions program (runs it) but also sees patients privately.

Saw one T temporarily through my company's EAP program and she was a freaking disaster. She suggested that the solution to my drinking and depression was to volunteer someplace. She was in private practice but was under contract with the EAP provider.

--splitimage

In freshman year of college I went to a campus T, that was okay.

My last T I found through my insurance. That wasn't really successful. She was too cold in her CBT approach and was just sort of an awkward person I think, as she would laugh inappropriately etc. She was a psychology resident in a group practice, PsyD but not licensed.

My current T was a referral from a University psychology clinic. I just called them on the phone and asked if they knew good people in the area. The person I spoke to was very, very helpful and highly recommended my current T who had just graduated from their program. She happens to be AMAZING. She's also a psychology resident in a group practice, PhD but not licensed.

I found both of my therapists online. The first one was from a group that a friend referred me to, I really liked her but never felt connected with her, not that she was a bad therapist at all. It took me a year to finally break the news to her and find another therapist that was really difficult because she good at what she did. She was in my insurance plan.

My second therapist is in a private group practice but also does counseling at a university; I found her online on my own. She didn't take my insurance. I found that out after a couple emails back and forth. However, I shared with her via email that I am a fultime student living off student loans, so she offered me the same rate I was paying as my insurance copay when seeing my last therapist. I was thrilled to get that email from her. I met her a week later and really liked her and have been seeing her since, its been 10 months now.

In 2006 my GP suggested I see a therapist, because I seemed, to her, "closed down and sad". My T's office is one she shares with several other Ts, and that is where my dad's work will pay for the first few sessions. So I went there. I met a woman that was in her late 50s, didn't really like her, saw her for a few months, at one session per month.

In April 2009 I wanted to go back to see a T because I was feeling overwhelmed with anxiety at school. I did, and met a woman in her early 30s, whom I like very much. We just have a sort of shared sense of dry humor, it's great

I found my therapist by contacting the psychoanalytic institute in the largest metropolitan area near me. I thought they might offer therapy at the institute but they did not. I asked if they could refer me to a candidate in my community, and requested a female therapist. They had only one person to refer me to, but it was a hit. She was on the bus route (at the time I had no car) and she offered a reduced fee since my insurance through my employer had instantly changed to a high-deductible plan right at that time.

She was a candidate at the institute and has been a therapist for 20+ years. We met several times, during which we both determined if we could work together.
We do. That was 2 1/2 years ago .

She has a private office in a group of offices. In the group of offices there are several groups and several individual therapists. The waiting room is a common waiting room . It is in a one-floor building so sometimes, when it isn't stifling hot, I sit in my car and read if I arrive early.

I have also had a therapist in a private setting: one office, private waiting room. That was nice too. Nice therapist too, but not the therapy I wanted.

I have also had therapists in a community mental health clinic setting. My psychiatrist was there too. I no longer take meds so I no longer see a psychiatrist. It was a nice place, but the therapy was not what I wanted.

Back then, I didn't know much about types of therapy and therapists.

I would love my next therapist to be in a private setting

I found my T through my insurance company. They have a list of names, and I picked a few that seemed relevant to a few of my issues, and called her first. I struggled for a long time if she is the right "fit" for me, and recently she suggestes maybe I'd feel less anxious with a different therapist. It made me realize that I wanted to continue to try and work with her, so that's where I am at now!

I definitely don't have the dort of "I love therapist" feelings a lot of people have here, but I do respect our relationship.

i found my current t thru an online referral service. i had moved to a new part of town and didn't really know of anyone here. she's in private practice and i really like her. she has a very nice home office.

my last t was referred by a friend and i'd also seen her advertisement in a community-type paper. she was also private practice. very nice lady.

in the past i've also tried the local seminary that has a counseling center. the first person they matched me with was pretty good but graduated not that long after (~5 months) i started with her. the second one was horrid and i left after a few sessions.

i've had other personally recommended ts in the past and they weren't that great. one really helped a friend of mine but didn't help me at all. it seems to be hit or miss!

Dr M- I think you know my story. But my t that I am with (and am leaving) I found thru my insurance. We were brand new to this area, having moved from a big city I didnt know my way around this kind of an area (more rural/suburban) and I went to her b/c I thouht I could actually FIND the office.

Even t's now I saw online and checked to see if they were on my insurance were better with a referral. Flat tire t is an ED therapist I found online and she is on my plan, but I NEVER would have seen her if my friend had not said she knew her and had seen her years ago and that she was very good.

Dear Doc,Although it might be difficult to get an initial appointment [maybe that's just in my area], your local State or County Mental Health Center will see you on a sliding scale basis, based on your income, or lack thereof. If you do not know how to locate same, call the nearest State psychiatric Hospital in your part of the country, or go to the yellow pages and look under mental health. Ask questions until you get the right phone #. The Psychologists in such facilities tend to be PhD's and are as likely as anyone in private practice to meet your needs. Best of Luck ~ billie

I only looked at T's covered under my insurance. I found my T through a referral from another T who didn't have evening availability. My T is in a private practice - there are 4 offices in a residential apartment building, though I've only seen one other T in there besides my T. My T shares her own office with her husband, who's another T.

My first therapist I found on the internet and did online therapy with him.

My in-person T just happened to be around the corner from work. I'm scared of highways and he was the only "non-bridge" therapist. I can remember contemplating for weeks about whether to contact him and then pulling into the parking lot one night and writing down his email address. He's in private practice.

first long term therapist = pdoc. i had been given 2 other names of ppl who were meant to be excellent but their waiting lists were too long, and i really did need some emergency care. pdoc happened to have a place open the following week, so that is how i ended up with him.

since then, pdoc has made the referrals to my proper Ts - they have both been in private practice. pdoc works for a private psych hospital, and they offer outpatients services through a medical centre. so i see him privately, but the actual location of where we meet differs on what day i see him - sometimes it's in his rooms, sometimes it's in the actual hospital. Austin-T also works in the psych hospital, so that is how pdoc knows him. i often see Austin-T around the hospital and he will always stop by to give me a pep talk .

my first therapist was work referred - an employee assistance plan after i was attacked at work - it wasa practice and i took the first available appt - hmmmm....lets just say we did not fit well. grrrrrrr.

2nd was through my car insurance of all places - they gave 8 free sessioins wiht a psychologist a year if you could prove you needed it - my friends husband worked for them thats how i found out - she knew i had had a bad exp with the first one and kept on at me to see this one - her husband asked her about me and chose the T and he was brilliant - i trusted him from the first time we spoke - and anyoone who knows me will know that is a major deal. But the 8 sessions ended and he went into hosptal for cancer treatment

(T3)I went and saw another work referred T took first available appt - this time a lady - initially she helped me and ongoing progress was slow but still progress.

the next year came and i rang the car insurance cos there had been another incident at work and got to see 2nd T again - it was like a boost to the system...once again the 8 sessions were over and once again he was off for treatment but i was a lot better - he had done for me in 8 sessions what the other T had done in a year.

went back to T3 ...... carried on making slow progress...... but returned to some old SI habits i had picked up since being attacked and after seeing T1

T3 left to go to a private practice and made me feel like she thought i should be fixed and just needed to do self improvement courses.....
so I continued SI which got worse.

In desperation i wrote to T2 and asked if he would take me on as a private patient if he could (under medicare for first 15 sessions then pay more) and luckily he did lately i have tried to disconnect from my T (T2) because i have acted like a big chicken!!! instead of a fiery phoenix but he hasnt let me i am sooooooo glad i found him and so gratefulo for my friend for keeping on at me to see him when i had other...more permanent plans in mind - he stil has cancer and is due for another op and is retiring because of that in Jan..... and i guess thats why im trying to disconnect but i am very thankful that i found him (or that my friends husband picked him for me lol)

take care P7

I only wanted psychodynamic-type therapy, so I called up one of the institutes for psychoanalytic therapy in the area. I spoke to the intake worker over the phone and she asked what my specifications were, if any. I said, "Just make sure the therapist is male." A couple days later, my T contact me and we set up a session. So it was basically random. I did not pick him and I knew absolutely nothing about him. He was essentially assigned to me and here we are, four years later, and I don't think I could have found a better match if I had researched every therapist in my area.

My therapist ended up changing agencies, but I went along with him.

First T, a pdoc, was recommended by family medical doc. Saw him til he retired last year. He provided referral, but opted to find new T outside of referral.

Found current T, also a pdoc, through researching internet and insurance network. Called and interviewed a gazillion Ts til found one who met desired qualifications and sounded neat on the phone. Ended up outside of insurance network, so have to pay more out of pocket, but worth it.

Initial difficulty was comparing her to old therapist and expecting her to react or do things the way he did. Got in the way of therapy and connecting with her. Took some time to let go of old T, accept current T and allow her to be just who she is. Been with her for a little over a year now and feeling very connected.

I had three separate lists of referrals for therapists...one from the obstetrician, one from online, and one from a postpartum support group. One T was on all three lists. AND she was on my insurance. AND her license was clean when I looked it up. AND I liked her website.

So I figured to call her first and go on down my lists until I found someone. She answered the phone, and the rest is history. Didn't know she is considered a guru of postpartum mood issues around here!

She and her hubby both do therapy in private practice, they bought a small house and turned it into their "therapy house" as I like to call it. Their real house is out in the woods and snow so I think they stay in their therapy home when the weather is really bad.

That's a great story, amazonmom!

Dr. Muffin, I hope you don't mind MY asking...but is your first name Stud?

Mine's in a private group practice thingy.

i am still in training and i work at an agency. i intend on working at this agency for at least the next year. i work in addictions and mostly we get referrals from outpatient therapists and alumni of the program.

the thing ive noticed about this field is that everyone has multiple income streams. so, most of the people that work at the agency with me also work at another agency, or teach, or have private practices.

getting certifications and being added to lists are a good way to get referrals. and often people who discharge from the agency but live in the area choose to see some of my colleagues in their outpatient practices.