In previous posts, I discussed goodness of fit in terms of relationship, culture and practice approach. These are all important considerations. But, at the end of the day, even the most perfect match won’t work for you if you can’t access their services. This post will describe some things to consider in the last part of the series: logistics.
The Role of the Practical
Some of the things you’ll need to consider are affordability, availability and accessibility. Affordability includes things like their per-session rate, whether they accept your insurance or if they have a sliding scale, and how they take payments. For availability, you’ll need to consider how often you want or need to see them, and when they’re able to schedule appointments. And, for accessibility, you’ll want to consider whether you need their office to accommodate mobility needs, if they use telehealth or are fully in person, and if in person, if their office is in a location that fits with your transportation options.
So, as part of exploring whether to work with someone, you can ask some of these questions:
How often would I be able to come in for regular sessions?
Can you accommodate my schedule for appointments?
How is payment handled?
Do you take my insurance or offer a sliding scale? What happens if I lose my insurance or my financial picture changes?
Are there services you charge extra for, that may not be covered by insurance?
What are your cancellation policies?
Can I be seen in person? Via telehealth? A hybrid?
The idea of finding a new therapist can be a little daunting. The goal of this series of posts is to give you some guidance for things to consider and questions to ask. If you’d like to learn more about my work and explore whether we might be a good fit, please feel free to reach out to schedule a 15 minute consultation.