questions for finding a therapist:
i may not be the right fit-- let's try to find out who is...
~ are there certain identities or intersections of identity you would like your therapist to have?
~ is there a certain experience or knowledge you would like your therapist to have?
~ is there a certain kind of theory you would like your therapist to work with?
~ do you prefer virtual, in-person, or hybrid? if in-person, where would you hope they would be located?
~ if you were to pay out of pocket and see your therapist weekly, what could you comfortably afford? how about bi-weekly?
~ are you looking for a therapist in your insurance network? if so, what is your insurance?
~ would you be looking to submit a superbill to your insurance? if so, how much could you safely afford knowing reimbursement doesn't happen immediately?**
**if you were going to try and get your insurance to reimburse you for therapy (aka pay out of pocket, request a superbill from your therapist, and provide it to insurance for reimbursement), here are some questions you might ask your insurance company prior to taking this step:
~ will they reimburse on an out of network provider?
~ will they reimburse on an associate who is working under supervision towards their hours?
~ if so, what is the percentage of reimbursement and cap? what would be the deductible on mental health?