Starting the Process

Written By Stephen Sills

Starting therapy often involves a lot of uncertainty. We are thinking about opening up to someone; something that we have thought about for a long time and are starting to feel ready to take the jump, but how do we do it? We’ve just made a huge decision but are now left with a long list of questions about where we go and how we make it happen.

First, start by taking a minute to think about what you are expecting and hoping to get out of therapy. Consider the following questions:

  • What do I expect the conversations will go like?

  • How might I want someone to interact with me? What do I hope they will be like?

  • What kinds of support have been helpful for me before and why?

  • What about therapy makes me feel a bit uncomfortable or intimidated?

Next, start by doing some research. We can get stuck with moving forward when we don’t know which direction to move in. Unless if you have experience looking for a psychologist before, this might feel all new and scary and you don’t have enough information to know who to choose. Start by going onto websites that have bios for psychologists, such as Psychology Today, Psychologists’ Association of Alberta, or Theralist,  and browsing through the biographies of different therapists. I recommended paying attention to if they are accepting new clients, qualifications, and specialties. You want someone who is able to see you (in a timely manner), licensed, and who has some experience related to what you want to get into.

There are also other search engines for psychologists based off of special considerations. Some of these include the following:

Once you have found a few therapists who look good to you, reach out to them via email to enquire further and set up a free consultation. Most therapists offer free 15-minute consultations to answer questions and start the process of seeing if you will be a good “fit”.

* Therapists are like shoes, not all will fit. Some will be too soft, too blunt, too confident, too shy, whatever it is. Don’t be afraid to talk to a few professionals in order to see who you feel a sense of comfort and hope with.

But how can I figure that out over email or within a 15-minute consult? What should I even ask?

In my experience, most potential clients who arrange a consultation aren’t sure what to ask. Don’t expect yourself to be fully confident going in or out of a consult call, there’s only so much you can figure out and only so good of a sense you can get before truly working with someone. The idea is to find someone that feels good to you and give them a shot. Start by expressing generally (only as much as you are comfortable sharing) what you hope to work on or are struggling with? The point of the call is less for the therapist to understand you, and more for you to determine if the therapist is likely to be able to effectively help you. Asking the following questions might help you figure out if someone is a good fit for you:

  • What are your qualifications?

  • What do you specialize in?

  • What is your experience working with presenting concerns like mine?

  • What is your experience with clients who have similar cultures, backgrounds, and intersecting identities to me?

  • How would you describe your general approach to therapy?

  • What can I expect in the first session?

  • What is your availability like? How far out are you booking, how often do you usually meet with clients, and what are your hours of operation?

  • What are your policies and procedures around payment and insurance? How much will sessions cost?

  • Why did you become a therapist?

  • Based on what you know about me so far, do you believe we are a good fit? Why or why not?

Once you have found someone who you think will work, move on to setting up an intake session. Meet with them to start the process of setting goals, building rapport, and exploring your strengths, challenges, and resources.

Stephen Sills
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Eliciting Positive Emotions