Finding a New Psychologist

Searching for a new psychologist or mental health professional can be a daunting task, and many people do not know where to start. This post will hopefully clarify the process and make it less painful to find a clinician that is a good fit for you.

Step 1: Find potential psychologists:

There are many services that can provide a referral to psychologists, including your family doctor and Health Link (811). 

If you are searching for a private practice psychologist yourself, some popular databases to search for clinicians include Psychology Today and the PAA Referral Service.

Through these websites you can read clinician profiles and filter your search based on a variety of factors, such as location, approach, and presenting issues. Often clinician profiles will also include contact information and links directly to their website/booking platform. Reading through clinician profiles and browsing their website/other media will help you get a general sense of who they are and their approach to counselling.

Step 2: Consultation

Many clinicians offer free consultations for potential clients. I always encourage those who are seeking mental health services to do consultations with a few different clinicians and shop around, as everyone has different therapeutic approaches and styles.

What it is:

A consultation is a chance to see if there is a good fit between you and the therapist to work together on your presenting concerns. Think about it like you are hiring an employee: if you want to find the best fit for the job you probably wouldn’t achieve that by considering only one person for the role. Most places interview several people: you should too.

Why it is helpful:

A consultation can be helpful to see if your presenting issues align with the clinician’s experience and training. In addition, the consultation can help you determine if the clinician’s approach and style is appealing to you. For example, some therapists like myself are very goal oriented and direct, other therapists have a more talk therapy and gentle approach. Research shows that having a good therapeutic fit between the client and therapist helps improve outcomes and satisfaction in therapy. A good fit may be indicated by your comfort level with the clinician and your confidence in their ability to understand and help you.  

What a consultation looks like:

During a consultation with me, typically we start by discussing your past experiences in counselling then I give you a little information about my approach, experience and style. Next, we discuss the presenting concerns that you would like help with and your goals. I usually wrap up the consultation with providing you with administrative information and answer any questions that you have.

How to make your consultations more helpful:

It can be difficult to know where to start in a consultation and what to ask. have provided some questions that may give you a better idea of what therapy would be like with that clinician. If their answers make you go “yikes, that sounds awful”: they are probably not a great fit.

To make your consultations even easier, I have provided a free worksheet that you can download to keep track of your consultations and compare them easily.

Download the Free Psychologist Consultation Worksheet Here

Questions to Ask During a Consultation

Clinician Questions:

• Are you fully registered or being supervised/What are your credentials & training?

Note: This question may be important for your insurance: Check with your benefit provider to see if your coverage aligns with their credentials. For example, some insurance companies will only reimburse you for services provided by a fully Registered Psychologist and will not accept services from a Provisionally Registered Psychologist (i.e. those who are practicing under supervision as they are on their way to becoming fully registered).

• How would you describe your therapeutic style and approach?

• Are there any of my presenting issues/concerns that are not in your area of expertise/experience or that you would refer me to other services for?

Therapy Questions:

• What is a typical session with you like?

• Do you give homework or strategies to try outside session?

• What can I do to make the most out of our sessions together?

Administrative Questions:

• What are your fees? Are there any fees beyond session fees (for example for reports or letter writing)

• What payment methods do you accept?

• Are there fees beyond session fees? e.g. for reports, letters

• What are your hours (check if they fit with your schedule)

• Do you offer phone, virtual or in person services?

• Do you offer any other services? E.g. workshops, group therapy

• Are there any company policies I should be aware of, such as late cancellation fees?

Step 3: Book your Appointment!

After you have completed your consultations and you are ready to get started, book your first appointment with your mental health professional of choice!