No therapists are responding to me

hopealwayz · Nov 01, 2016, 09:12 PM

I've emailed two therapists today about the possibility of coming in for a session but neither of them wrote me back.

I'm discouraged and wondering if I'm ever going to find the right T.

musinglizzy · Nov 01, 2016, 09:13 PM

If you just wrote them today, I'd give them more time. Don't get discouraged yet.

PumpkinPieHead · Nov 01, 2016, 09:14 PM

What musinglizzy said. Come here and talk to us in the meantime. If you want privacy, PM me.

Pennster · Nov 01, 2016, 09:15 PM

Yes, don't be discouraged yet. Often people take a few days to reply to emails. Maybe just use the time while you are waiting to see if there are any more out there that you might like to try?

AllHeart · Nov 01, 2016, 11:11 PM

What about making phone calls instead? When I was looking for a t for my daughter not too long ago, response times from t's were far quicker when I reached out by phone versus email.

rainboots87 · Nov 01, 2016, 11:18 PM

I emailed two in August that I've still never heard back from. After a few days, I tried another office and heard back within 24 hours (even over a weekend). It was less convenient for me than the other possibilities, but the 3rd person I communicated with was so kind and helpful and got me set up with one of the counselors at her practice. I love my current T, but it was really disheartening and anxiety-provoking to not hear back from the other ones.

Also, I work the front desk at a counseling center myself, and I'm much quicker with returning phone calls versus emails which have to be forwarded to me from another employee. Regardless, I do try to get back to people asap, so good places will do that. Someone who doesn't respond promptly to potential clients I wouldn't want to see anyway.

hopealwayz · Nov 02, 2016, 11:32 AM

I was searching more therapists today and found one with good ratings and in the ratings, that person said that this therapist allows texts and emails at any time. I made a phone call and left a message. Hopefully, I will hear back from him.

Pennster · Nov 02, 2016, 11:44 AM

That sounds like you are making a good effort! I do agree that phone is probably better than emails- my own therapist nearly dropped the ball on replying to one of my earliest emails setting up and appointment- I had to follow it up. He's a great therapist, but a lousy emailer. He gets so much email and seems to get pretty stressed out by them. It's harder to forget about a phone message.

Nov 02, 2016, 12:01 PM

I found trying to get in touch with therapists who don't have an office staff to be frustrating. I'd call and leave messages and they actually rarely got back with me. I took it as a sign that they were the type of therapist I would be interested in if they couldn't return an inquiry phone call in a timely manner (a few days). I didn't take their lack of a call back personally; I just took it as they had lousy business sense. (Another reason I prefer to work with a therapist with an office staff. I hate playing phone tag.)

LonesomeTonight · Nov 02, 2016, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolagrace

I found trying to get in touch with therapists who don't have an office staff to be frustrating. I'd call and leave messages and they actually rarely got back with me. I took it as a sign that they were the type of therapist I would be interested in if they couldn't return an inquiry phone call in a timely manner (a few days). I didn't take their lack of a call back personally; I just took it as they had lousy business sense. (Another reason I prefer to work with a therapist with an office staff. I hate playing phone tag.)

Lola, I also prefer T's with office staff. Also because then they handle billing rather than the T directly (which always seemed weird to me, when others would talk about handing their T a check or pile of cash at the end of the session). I think I ended up with my T because she got back to me quickly and could also see me quickly due to a cancellation. Another one had left me a voice mail but couldn't see me for a few weeks. Some others never got back to me at all, I don't think.

If there's one you're really interested in, maybe try an e-mail, then if no response in a few days, a phone call (or vice versa). Sometimes I feel like you have to find the T's preferred form of communication--like some don't use e-mail very much, others use it all the time.