Why you should ALWAYS screen your therapist before meeting them.

I’m just gonna say it…there are some pretty bad therapists out there.

I love my profession, and I have a great group of therapists who are incredibly talented and whom I am proud to know, but just like everything, there are good ones and not-so-good ones. I’ve heard stories of people who’s therapists have asked them for advice, therapists who told them to withhold sex from their partners to punish them, therapists who are late, disorganized, or just plain clueless. If this sounds familiar to you, I’m here to tell you: therapy should not be like that!

You never want to find yourself paying for a session with someone you know is not a match for you! Or, if you’re like most of us, you end up paying for multiple sessions before you get up the guts to break up with that therapist, even though you knew within the first five minutes they were a dud.

Think about it: what are the reasons you’re coming to therapy?

Maybe you’ve got some people-pleasing tendencies?

You have difficulty setting boundaries or saying “no” when you need to?

You’re trying to get up the courage to break up with your partner or quit your job with your terrible boss?

It’s truly a perfect storm for not being able to end a therapy relationship once you’ve started! That’s why I suggest calling at least three therapists and talking to them on the phone before you go into their office. I know, it’s hard enough to find one therapist. But trust me, therapy is a huge investment of your time and money, and it is worth it to do the work up front. I offer a free consultation call, and in fact, I require that everyone talks to me before scheduling an appointment. I want to make sure it’s a match, and if it’s not, I’ll hook you up with someone who is! Most therapists will do this, you just have to ask.

When you’re ready to take the leap, here’s a resource I’ve created to help you brainstorm what you want in a therapist, and take notes during your consultation calls with therapists!