How to Find
a Good Therapist

Dear family member or friend or stranger on the internet,

I am sorry that you are in a place in your life where you are looking for a therapist. Generally, we aren’t looking for a therapist when things are going amazingly well. Then, when you are already struggling, you have to figure out how you actually go about getting some help — which can be its own stressful process.

I hope that I can give you some suggestions that might help make that process a little easier for you.

Start With What You Actually Want

Before you start Googling or scrolling through directories, take a few minutes to think about what you’re hoping to get out of therapy. This doesn’t have to be perfectly clear. A lot of people figure it out along the way. Having a rough sense just helps you narrow things down.

Your Goals

Are you looking to manage anxiety? Work through a specific life transition? Deal with insomnia that’s been dragging on for months? Process grief? Sometimes people come to therapy with a very specific thing, and sometimes it’s more of a general “I just feel stuck.” Both are completely valid, and knowing where you fall helps you find someone with the right expertise.

Your Style Preferences

Some people want a therapist who’s warm and chatty. Others want someone more structured who gives them homework and strategies. Some want someone who’s going to gently challenge them, and others need someone who’s going to sit with them in the hard stuff before pushing forward. There’s no wrong answer here, and knowing your preference (or being open to discovering it) will serve you well.

Get the Logistics Out of the Way

Logistics might not be the most exciting thing to think about, and they matter a lot. Therapy only works if you can actually show up consistently.

In-person or virtual? Telehealth has opened up a lot of doors. I see all of my clients via telehealth, and it works beautifully for most people. Some folks genuinely prefer being in a room with someone and that is important to know before you start. Think about what feels right for you and what’s realistic given your schedule and location.

When can you actually go? Be honest with yourself about your schedule. If you can only do Tuesday evenings, that’s useful information. If you need early morning appointments because you have kids in the afternoon, say that upfront. A therapist who’s perfect on paper but can’t see you at a time that works is not actually a good fit.

How to Find Less Costly Therapy

Therapy is an investment, and there are several different ways to pay for it.

Insurance

If you have insurance, start by checking whether your plan covers mental health services and which therapists are in-network. In-network therapists have agreed to accept your insurance company’s rates, which usually means a lower copay for you. The trade-off is that the pool of available therapists may be smaller.

Out-of-Network (OON)

Some therapists don’t take insurance directly but are considered out-of-network providers. This means you pay the therapist’s full fee upfront, and then your insurance may reimburse you a portion of the cost. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, this can be a good option, especially if the therapist you really want isn’t in your network. Ask your insurance company about your out-of-network deductible and reimbursement rate so you know what to expect.

Next Time You’re Eligible to Change Plans

Next time you are comparing insurance plans, look at the mental health benefits. It may be worthwhile to invest in a PPO plan instead of an HMO plan, which gives you access to a wider network of therapists. You might also consider plans that have out-of-network benefits so you can see a therapist who doesn’t accept your insurance. Finally, think about using an FSA or HSA account to pay for therapy.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

A lot of people don’t realize they have this benefit through their employer. EAPs typically offer a set number of free therapy sessions, usually somewhere between 3 and 8. It’s a great way to get started, especially if cost is a concern. Check with your HR department to see if your company offers one.

Low-Cost Options

If none of the above work for your situation, there are still options. Many therapists offer sliding scale fees based on income — don’t hesitate to ask! Community mental health centers provide services at reduced rates. Training clinics at universities often offer therapy at significantly lower costs, and you’ll be working with a graduate student who is supervised by a licensed psychologist, which can actually be a really positive experience. Open Path Collective is another resource where sessions start at $30 to $80.

Where to Look: Therapist Directories

Okay, so you know what you want, you’ve thought about logistics and cost. Now where do you actually find someone? Here are some places to start:

• Alma is a membership-based platform for therapists that makes it easy for clients to search for in-network providers. After you select your preferences, Alma will recommend 3 providers and then you’ll need to click the arrow at the bottom and look for a button that says “See all my options” to browse a more complete list. From there, you can change your filters to search by availability and provider type, such as searching for psychologists only.
• Headway is similar to Alma and connects you with therapists who accept insurance. After you answer some questions, you’ll get a list of providers to sort through. You can change your filters to search by availability and provider type, including searching for psychologists only (under therapists).
• Psychology Today is one of the most well-known directories. You can filter by insurance, specialty, therapy type, and more. Just keep in mind that anyone licensed can list themselves here, so use it as a starting point and do your own vetting.
• Open Path Collective, as mentioned above, is a directory for therapists offering low-cost therapy.
• Call your insurance company directly. I know nobody wants to do this. Calling the number on the back of your insurance card and asking for a list of in-network mental health providers is one of the most reliable ways to find someone your plan will cover. I highly recommend starting this way if you have a unique insurance plan, HMO, Medicare Advantage, or Medicare plan because they have more limited networks for therapists.

How to Sift Through Therapists: All Those Letters Behind Their Name

When you’re searching for a therapist, you’ll see a whole alphabet of credentials: PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LPC, LMFT, and more. Each of these represents a different level and type of training. More letters or credentials are not always a good thing. I want to help you understand the differences, but personally, I recommend trying to find a doctoral-level psychologist if you are able to — someone with PhD or PsyD behind their name.

Doctoral-Level Psychologists (PhD & PsyD)

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology) programs are research-intensive and typically take 6 to 7+ years to complete. During that time, students are trained in both the science and practice of psychology. This includes extensive coursework in psychopathology (the study of psychological disorders), assessment, research methods, and evidence-based interventions (i.e., therapy that actually works), along with years of supervised clinical experience across a range of settings. PhD programs also require a dissertation, which means graduates have hands-on experience designing and conducting research. The program culminates in a full-year predoctoral internship, which is an intensive, supervised clinical training year, followed by a postdoctoral year of supervised practice before licensure. This is the longest paragraph because I lived it and know firsthand what a PhD program involves.

PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) programs place a heavier emphasis on clinical practice and typically take 4 to 6 years. PsyD students also complete extensive supervised training and a predoctoral internship, though the research requirements are generally less intensive than in PhD programs. Both PhD and PsyD degrees lead to licensure as a psychologist.

For both PhDs and PsyDs, there is quite a bit of variation across doctoral programs. More prestigious universities, such as Harvard or Stanford, are generally more research-focused and may not have had as much emphasis on clinical training. When looking at a psychologist to work with, it may be worthwhile to ask them directly about what supervised experience or training they have that is relevant to the reasons you are seeking therapy.

Additionally, not all programs are created equal, and one important marker of quality is APA accreditation. Programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) have been evaluated against rigorous standards for training, including the quality and breadth of clinical supervision, coursework, and faculty qualifications. If a psychologist completed an APA-accredited program and an APA-accredited internship, you can feel confident that their training met a high bar.

Master’s-Level Clinicians

LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) requires a master’s degree in social work (typically 2 years) plus supervised post-graduate hours. Social workers are trained in a systems perspective and often bring a strong understanding of community resources and social context.

LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) require a master’s degree in counseling or marriage and family therapy (typically 2 to 3 years) plus supervised post-graduate hours.

ABD. Okay, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. When I see someone listing this as a credential, it strikes me as a little shady — this stands for “all but dissertation.” It means they have completed all of their PhD-level coursework, which is great, but they haven’t finished their dissertation and thus haven’t completed their doctorate degree.

Why I’m Biased Toward More Education

My bias is that I believe more training and supervised experience generally leads to better clinical outcomes. The depth of training in doctoral programs, particularly the emphasis on understanding research, differential diagnosis, and complex case conceptualization, makes a meaningful difference in my experience.

A psychologist with a PhD or PsyD has spent years learning how to critically evaluate which treatments actually work and why, how to recognize when something isn’t a straightforward case of anxiety and might involve an overlapping medical condition or a more complex diagnostic picture, and how to adapt when a standard approach isn’t working. Both depth and breadth come from years of intensive training.

A PhD program in psychology is essentially training you to be both a scientist and a clinician. You learn to read, critically evaluate, and produce research, which means you’re not just following a treatment manual. That matters when treatment doesn’t go as planned, or when a client’s presentation is complicated.

If you aren’t able to access a doctoral-level psychologist, I’d recommend looking at master’s-level clinicians with more years of experience.

How to Sift Through Therapists: Therapy Types

You’ll see a lot of acronyms thrown around, and it can feel like alphabet soup. Here’s a quick rundown of some common research-based therapies so you know what people are talking about.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely researched approaches out there. It focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and tends to be structured and goal-oriented. You’ll learn specific skills and strategies. I use CBT quite a bit in my own practice, especially for anxiety and insomnia.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you develop psychological flexibility, which means learning to make room for difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, while moving toward what matters to you. I find ACT incredibly powerful for clients dealing with chronic illness and anxiety.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for people with intense emotions and includes skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. It’s helpful for far more people than it was originally designed for.

Insight-Oriented Therapies focus on building self-awareness and understanding the patterns that drive your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The goal is less about learning specific skills and more about understanding yourself deeply enough that things start to shift.

Psychodynamic Therapy is a type of insight-oriented therapy that explores how your past, especially early relationships and experiences, shapes the way you move through the world today. It’s less structured than CBT and more exploratory, and research supports its effectiveness for depression, anxiety, and relationship patterns.

Trauma-Focused Therapies are designed to work directly with traumatic experiences rather than just managing the symptoms they leave behind. Evidence-based options like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) have strong research support for PTSD specifically.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation (typically side-to-side eye movements) while recalling distressing memories, with the goal of helping the brain reprocess experiences that feel stuck. It sounds unusual, but the research is solid, and it’s worth considering if talk therapy alone hasn’t been enough.

Somatic Experiencing / Body-Focused Therapies work from the premise that trauma gets stored in the body, not just the mind, and that healing requires attention to physical sensations alongside thoughts and emotions. It tends to be a gentler entry point for people who find traditional talk therapy hard to access.

Mindfulness-based approaches incorporate present-moment awareness and non-judgmental observation into therapy. This can be woven into other approaches or stand on its own.

There are plenty of other evidence-based modalities out there, and many providers are “eclectic” or “integrative,” meaning they utilize multiple therapy approaches. The key is finding a therapist who uses an approach that resonates with you and has research supporting it for your particular concerns.

Consultation Calls

I recommend doing a free consultation call with any therapist you are considering working with. These calls are a great way to get a sense of what it would be like to work with someone and address any questions you have. Share a little bit about what you’re looking for and use your gut to guide you on whether you’d like working with this person.

Found Someone You Like?

Before you move forward with that first appointment, just double-check that their license is active and in good standing.

For Arizona psychologists, you can verify their license is active and they have no board actions by searching their name here: Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners

For other Arizona behavioral health professionals, you can verify their license here: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners

Considering working with someone who doesn’t have a license? Licensure isn’t just a piece of paper — it means someone has completed supervised training, passed rigorous exams, and is held accountable to an ethics board if something goes wrong. Without it, there’s no guarantee of training standards and no formal recourse if you’re harmed.

The Biggest Predictor of Success

Decades of research consistently show that one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy will help you is the therapeutic alliance, which is the quality of the relationship between you and your therapist.

The connection you feel, the sense that your therapist “gets” you, the trust you build together: that matters as much as (and sometimes more than) the specific type of therapy being used. So when you have a first session with a therapist, pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel heard? Do you feel safe enough to be honest? Can you see yourself opening up to this person over time?

A Word About Dual Relationships

One of the things that makes finding a good therapist tricky — the one recommended by your spouse or best friend probably isn’t the same therapist you should see. Therapy works in part because the therapist is an unbiased outsider to your life.

A good therapist will not be someone you have another type of relationship with. Your therapist shouldn’t be your friend, your significant other’s therapist, your neighbor’s best friend, or your coworker. You get the idea. This is called a “dual relationship,” and ethical therapists avoid them because they can complicate the therapeutic process.

This can be tricky in smaller communities, but it’s important. Your therapy space should be separate from the rest of your life so you can be fully yourself without worrying about running into your therapist at the school pick-up line. If a therapist you’re considering has another connection to your life, it’s worth bringing that up and discussing whether it makes sense to find someone else.

Final Thoughts

Finding a therapist takes effort. It’s also one of those things that’s so worth the time you put in. You deserve someone who’s qualified, who you connect with, and who can actually help you move toward the life you want.

Don’t be afraid to “shop around” until you find someone you click with.

And if you start working with someone and you still aren’t connecting after a few sessions? Share with them what’s working or not working. A good therapist can also shift their style to meet your needs. It can be a great opportunity to practice advocating for yourself.

I wish you the best of luck in finding a therapist!

Dr. Angelia Corley, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Restwell Therapy. She specializes in working with individuals who have insomnia, chronic illness, and anxiety, using evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, mindfulness, and DBT. She sees clients via telehealth in Arizona and PSY-PACT states.