Questions to ask when Interviewing a Potential Therapist:

Ask about Therapist Identity.

For many folks who embody targeted identities and multiple intersections of said identities, Therapist Identity is an important factor in deciding with whom you want to work. For example, when I was practicing as a therapist I was clear about being a queer, fat, Autistic, ADHD, disabled, anti-racist therapist whose pronouns are she/they. This is one of the very first examples of what can help you filter candidates.

Ask about the therapist’s values & philosophy.

For example, do they align with the medical model or are they working to deconstruct that in their practice? Are their practices trauma informed? Do they work from a justice-oriented perspective? What kind of work are they doing personally and professional to decolonize their practice and to dismantle systems of oppression?

Ask about what they are doing to actively deconstruct ableist ideaology and practice from their work and self.

Ask about how they create accessibility.

If sessions will be in person, you might ask:

• • Are there gender neutral bathrooms available?
  • Is there an elevator?
  • Does the therapist have awareness of diverse sensory needs like lighting, temp, smells, etc?
  • Does the therapist have animals in their office as therapy animals? (This may be a trigger or may aggravate allergies).
  • Is there adequate, affordable, and accessible parking?
  • Is the office near or on a bus/metro route?
  • Can a wheelchair fit in and maneuver around the therapy office?

For telehealth sessions, you might ask:

• • Does their video platform offer closed captioning?
  • Is the therapist open to sessions with no camera?
  • If client isn’t able to be verbal is there a secure chat messaging feature available?

Ask about their idea of the Client-Therapist relationship.

Is it collaborative or hierarchical? Is their work “client-centered” or “client lead” vs. “therapist as expert” approach?

Ask about their specific experience and training in the area you want support.

How many other clients have they worked with with those same needs? Can they talk about their specialized training, continuing professional development, and consultation they pursue around this topic?

For example, a therapist might have “LGBTQ+ friendly” on their bio or website but it’s important to ask more about that. What is their relationship to the queer community? Do they work from an actively affirming and inclusive perspective? How much training, supervision/consultation have they had in this area? Do they have any lived-experience?

Another example is trauma. **Not all therapist work from a trauma-informed place.** And sadly, not all who claim to be trauma-informed actually are.  Specifically ask how they approach trauma work

Ask about what modalities they practice.  If you are Autistic and/or ADHD modalities like CBT and DBT are not always the best fit.

Ask what specific kinds of trauma does a therapist work with.

These are specialized areas that require extra training, lived-experience, and personal healing work on the part of the therapist: complex trauma, developmental (childhood family of origin) trauma, religious trauma, survivors of ABA treatment and/or conversion therapy, refugee trauma, trafficking trauma, veteran trauma, interpersonal violence/domestic violence, racial trauma, colonizer trauma, survivors of homeschooling trauma…etc. 

Ask if they see their own therapist and how important their own wellness practices are to their professional work?

A green flag to look for is a therapist who is in continual work of personal growth and development.  Therapists and Coaches have a deep responsibility to continue investing in our own health, wellness, and growth in order to show up as our best, ethical, present selves. 

Ask about what books are they reading? 

Who are they learning from right now? What interesting trainings have they attended lately? 

As you read their website do you resonate? 

Does their copy sound like who you want to work with or does it feel detached and generic? Do you get a sense of that therapist’s energy, approach, style enough to want to schedule an initial call with them?  Do they have a blog – what kinds of things do they write about? 

Therapist Directories and Related Sites

This is by no means an exhaustive list and will likely be updated from time to time. I am happy to help guide folks in this process so you can find a good fit and get on with the healing work you want to do!

My all time #1 go-to directory is Inclusive Therapists. It allows you to search specific areas like Therapist Identity, Insurance, Language, Areas of Experience, Therapy Modality (like EMDR, IFS, etc).

Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapists:

• • ND Therapists
  • Therapist Neurodiversity Collective

Racial Affinity Directories:

• • Therapy for Black Girls
  • Asians for Mental Health
  • Latinx Therapy
  • Melanin and Mental Health
  • Therapy for Black Men

Non-Religious & Religious Trauma Focused:

• • Secular Therapy Project
  • Reclamation Collective
  • Religious Trauma Institute

Deaf Therapy:

• • National Deaf Therapy

Queer and Gender Expansive Affirming:

• • Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
  • Therapy for Queer People of Color

Lower Cost/Sliding Scale Fees:

• • Open Path Collective
  • Mental Health Liberation – free therapy for BIPOC

Where possible, I encourage you to stay away from “corporate online therapy” as you don’t have as much autonomy over who you work with, and they have a record of engaging exploitative pay practices with their therapist employees.

Are there other directories I’ve missed? Please let me know, I’m always wanting to expand the mental health resources available to folks!

If you need other resources for support, please visit my RESOURCES page.