There are plenty of techniques for managing mental health, from focusing on physical habits to practicing mindfulness or meditation. But, sometimes a therapist really is the best path forward to develop healthy coping mechanisms or rethink your thought processes. No matter where you are with your mental health, if you’re already thinking about therapy, it might be a good idea to try it out. And, if you identify as queer, finding out how to find an LGBTQ+-friendly therapist is pretty important.
However, even if you are fully committed to starting (or continuing) therapy, finding the right therapist for that can be daunting. From hunting for providers that your insurance covers to finding someone locally based with open slots, there are many considerations in this process. More personal considerations may include finding a therapist with whom you share common ground, especially culturally. If you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, or questioning, finding a therapist that is a part of that community or at the very least, affirming in their allyship may be another important consideration.
You go to therapy looking for someone who can support and guide you, so finding someone affirming towards LGBTQ+ individuals may be critical in building that support. Whether you’re starting therapy for the first time or moving out of state for college, here are some tips for starting your search.
- Check out mental health databases.
-
While you can obtain a list of eligible providers from your insurance provider, those lists can be out-of-date and lacking in providers. To help this, there are several databases available to help you search for a provider. Sites such as goodtherapy.org have filters that can specify “communities served,” including LGBTQ+ people. Psychology Today also allows you to filter for provider identity, if you would prefer to find a therapist who identifies as LGBTQ+ themselves.
These sites also provide filters for specialties and varieties of therapeutic techniques, allowing you to be hyper-specific in your focus. Not every site may have the same providers, so looking across a few may be a good idea to cast the widest net possible in your search. Of course, be sure to check the bios of the therapists on these sites (and on their own sites) to get a further sense of whether they might be a good fit for you.
- take advantage of consultations and initial interviews.
-
Some therapists provide free consultations, usually about 15 minutes, for prospective patients to get a sense of fit. An initial appointment such as a brief consultation is a good idea regardless of how you came to find your therapist, as not every provider may be the right fit for you. For therapy to be most effective, you should work with someone you feel comfortable with. Using your first appointment or consultation to ask your potential therapist about their styles and perspectives is one way to gauge fit — including whether they are LGBTQ+ affirming or not.
- Take recommendations.
-
The last strategy to consider in finding a therapist is via recommendation. This can be difficult if you’re moving states, but try reaching out to friends and family to see if they know anyone. If you’re currently seeing a therapist, asking them to reach out to any contacts they might have is a great idea.
Finally, if you attend a college or university with mental health services, consider reaching out to them to find out how other students have found therapists, or if they can give you a list of possible referrals.
Regardless of how you go about finding your therapist, be patient with yourself and your potential providers. Sometimes it can take several sessions to establish a rapport and grow comfortable with a new person, but trust your gut and pay attention to tone and attitude as much as the direct words spoken between the two of you. This is someone you’ll need to talk to, so make sure you can talk to them comfortably.