Where to Find a Bay Area Therapist
Don’t know where to start looking? Learn from a Therapist in the Bay Area
In my last article, I covered the first step in finding a therapist, which explores what you need in a therapist and what kind of therapist works for you.
But it can be daunting knowing where to start finding this therapist. How do you translate your ideal therapist into a real person is a real challenge if you do not know where to start looking.
I listed a few places where you can start looking for a therapist right away!
Therapist Directories
Directories are a collection of therapists that are independent and simply list on a website. They are easily one of the most common and accessible ways of finding a therapist because you simply have to go online and search.
However, directories can be overwhelming because of the extensive listing of potential therapists. Places such as Psychology Today can list hundreds of therapists in your city alone.
Suppose you have done your work from the last article and identified what you need in therapy. In that case, it will be much easier to find a therapist that works for you on a directory.
One of the benefits of directories is that they enable you to limit your choices through filters. So you can find a therapist by narrowing it down using the directories search filters. Do note that directories do not list ALL therapists in the area.
Also, some therapist directories have certain specialties. For example, Open Path Collective focuses on listing therapists who provide low fee counseling, and inclusive therapist focuses on listing therapists who focus on marginalized identity groups.
To get started, here is a list of common therapist directories:
Inclusive Therapists - Emphasis on serving marginalized identity groups
Open Path Collective - Exclusively low fee-therapists with sliding scales
Ask a Friend or Family Member for a Therapist
If you know friends or family that have had therapy before, feel free to ask for recommendations. You can often get a feel for that person's therapy experience and see if they are a good fit for you.
Asking a friend also allows you to ask what their experience was like and whether their way of doing therapy is a good fit for you.
However, it is also essential to understand what you need in therapy.
What might be a "good therapist" for a friend or family member might not be a good fit for you. An excellent way to know if they are a good fit would be to visit their website and to do a proper consultation with the therapist directly.
Using Google to Find a Bay Area Therapist
Sometimes you can simply type in your therapist search directly into Google. Pick a few words that describe what you are looking for in a therapist and type it into Google. Often you are led back to therapist directories, but many individual therapists can be found on Google Search. You may be surprised by what you find using Google.
Therapist will often target common Google keywords in areas that they specialize in. For example, you may be looking for a Asian American therapist that specializes in trauma. So put in “Asian America Trauma Therapist” and see what comes up.
This can be a quick and easy to way find exactly what you are looking for near by without needing to comb through an entire directory.
Get Started by Finding a Therapist in the Bay Area Today!
Knowing where to find a therapist can be challenging, but you will be sure to see results if you look in the right places. Once you have a list of potential therapists, you can then begin narrowing good candidates.
It can seem overwhelming at first, but if you narrow down your therapist choices based on what you need, it will be easier to manage.
After you found some therapists, take some time to pick a few that you like.
A good rule of thumb is to give yourself at least 3 different therapists to choose from. Once you have a few choices, the next step would be to call them for a consultation.
Has finding a therapist been daunting? What has your experience in finding a therapist been? Leave a comment below.
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