How do I start therapy?

To start therapy, you first have to find a mental health therapist and Mental Health Match offers a free quiz to match you with the right provider. You’ll want to make sure they have the right credentials and specializations, which Mental Health Match can help you with too.

You may find it helpful to identify more than one therapist you would like to work with, and talk with each of them on the phone to see if they’re a good fit for you. Many therapists offer a free 15-minute consultation call or a short session for this purpose. If you feel like your therapist is a good match for you, you’ll then schedule a first full appointment.

Your first counseling session may start with a little housekeeping, such as filling out intake forms that explore what you’re hoping to work on, insurance information, and information about HIPAA to protect your privacy. Sometimes you may handle this over the phone or before you enter your therapist’s office for the first time. 

After you take care of housekeeping, you and your therapist or counselor will start to get to know each other. If you know what you’d like to discuss, you will start talking about your concerns and what you would like to work on. If you are not sure where to start, your therapist will ask you about your life, your goals, and concerns that you feel are holding you back. 

You can read these articles to learn a bit more about therapy and the therapy process. If you’d like to hear stories from real people about their experience in therapy, check out our #VoicesOfTherapy series.