Questions to ask a therapist, counselor, or psychologist in Houston.

You’ve spent several hours scouring the internet and you think you’ve narrowed it down to a few therapists that you are curious about.

A lot of them mention words like depression or anxiety, but how do you know which one is right for you. What should you ask? What should you say? What is appropriate?

Questions to ask a Therapist in Houston

It can be pretty intimidating to start. So here are a few suggestions:

Question #1: Do you have experience working with the issues I am looking for help with?

This gets you thinking, about what might be some goals that motivated you to seek out therapy in the first place. Your therapist may ask what you are hoping to accomplish by doing some therapy and whether or not they may be able to help you depending on the work they do.

Question #2: What do typical therapy sessions look like?

If you’ve never done any counseling in the past, it may seem rather mysterious, or maybe you think counseling looks like something you’ve seen on TV, “do I just lay on the couch and you analyze me?” Most therapists will ask lots of questions and aim to learn about you and your situation in order to gain an understanding of how best they could help, and no, you don’t have to lie down.

Question #3: Do you have a specific approach or style that you utilize in therapy?

There are several types of therapeutic approaches out there, so many that it is impossible for a therapist to be trained in all of them, but most will utilize certain theories that they feel have worked best for them and their clients. Some theories that I utilize during counseling sessions are cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) or solution-focused brief therapy.

Question #4: How do I know if therapy is right for me?

My answer may be somewhat biased since I am a counselor, but in general, I believe most people can benefit from counseling. Clients who find me are feeling stuck, perhaps have already sought the support of family and friends, or maybe are not comfortable asking someone in their support system, are looking for an outside perspective on things, and are willing to try something different.

Question #5: Will you tell others what I share with you?

Your privacy is an important part of the counseling work I do and will not be shared with anyone without your consent. If using health insurance, your insurer can have access to records necessary to authorize payment. Because of this, some clients prefer to utilize self-pay. In addition, there are some limits to confidentiality if it involves safety issues regarding neglect, abuse, or harm to others or yourself that would need to be reported, or if subpoenaed by a court, I may be legally required to do so.

I hope this gives you some ideas of what to ask to find the right therapist in Houston, TX. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call me at (281)-858-3325 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to chat and answer some of your questions. If you are looking for help with anxiety or depression, you can read more about how I can help here.