Questions to Ask a Therapist in Philadelphia

You are looking for a therapist in Philadelphia. When you look a therapist’s website (like mine!) see a reference about doing a consultation. But…. what are you supposed to ask during a consult? What happens? What should you expect?

When you are new to therapy there can be a lot of terms used that we don’t always understand, I’m happy to help clear things up. Consultations are a great way for both the client and the therapist to get an idea if they will be a good fit. Not every therapist is comfortable working on every single issue under the sun. I want to be the best I can be at helping my clients. So I use my consultations as an opportunity to get to know the things that we will be working on in therapy, discuss some of the logistics about our schedules and make sure that you think my personality seems like a good fit as well!

Questions to ask a Therapist in Philadelphia

Ask about their specialty or if they have experience with the reason you are seeking therapy.

During the consultation, this is a great time for you to be able to get an understanding of whether the therapist you are talking to will have enough experience working with other clients for similar reasons you are coming to therapy. You could tell them the reason you are searching for a therapist and then ask if they have experience treating this issue.

Consider any identity or cultural experiences you would want your therapist to have.

If you are preparing for a consultation with me, I often ask potential clients if there are any identify, culture, religion or lived experiences they think it would be important their therapist have had. While I don’t think it is always important that your therapist has actually lived the experience to be a good fit for you, we can’t change who we are. If you are looking for a therapist who is of color and you can’t picture seeing a therapist who isn’t, it is important I know that during a consultation so we can discuss if you think it might be better to find someone else.

If you have had therapy before, you could share some of your positive or negative experiences.

It could be helpful during a consultation to share some of your experiences with therapy previously, both the positive and the negative ones! Your potential new therapist may be able to help explore with you what things went well and what things could have been better so you can both be on the same page beginning your new therapeutic journey.

If you have never been in therapy before, ask what to expect.

If you have never been in therapy before this is a great time to ask some questions you might have about what to expect. Every therapist has a different way of organizing their first few sessions. During the first session with me I will complete what is called a bio-psycho-social where I am asking more detailed questions bout you in order to get a full picture. Some therapists do this less formally, some do this more formally. If you have any questions about what to expect after the consultation, ask!

This isn’t a question, but this is a great opportunity to see if your personalities mix well.

I often tell potential new clients that because this is a therapeutic relationship, it takes me being authentic which means I am bringing my personality into the therapy room. Not everyone’s personalities mix well. I remind clients that if they don’t think that my personality mixes well with theirs to just be honest. It shouldn’t ever hurt your therapist’s feelings if you are honest that you don’t think they are a good fit!

Contact me if you are interested in Therapy in Philadelphia.

I hope this helps you find the right therapist in Philadelphia. If you are still feeling like I might be a good fit, feel free to call me at (240)-317-9239 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with social and relationship anxiety, you can read more about how I can help here.