{"id":21881,"date":"2023-04-04T14:39:21","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T14:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parent.bloomforall.com\/?p=21881"},"modified":"2023-10-09T23:28:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T23:28:32","slug":"how-to-find-a-therapist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/how-to-find-a-therapist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find a Therapist for Your Teen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"is-style-cnvs-paragraph-callout has-medium-font-size\">When choosing a therapist, it\u2019s important to find a good match for your teen. Here are 6 tips to help you find the best match.&nbsp;<\/p><p>There\u2019s been much stigma around seeking out a therapist and engaging in counseling. People may view it as a weakness, which can make it difficult for us to seek the help for ourselves or others, but help that we need and could benefit greatly from.<\/p><p>When it comes to our young people and loved ones, most of us are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that they are feeling well, and living a happy, healthy life. For this reason, caregivers often seek out the help of a therapist when they notice that their preteen or teen is struggling socially or emotionally.<\/p><p>When you make the decision to seek therapy for your preteen or teen, it can also be extremely overwhelming to try to find the right person to help. Whether it is insurance, lengthy wait lists, or unfortunately, stories about negative experiences with providers, finding the right therapist is not only possible, but can be a much smoother and efficient process if a few things are sorted out from the beginning.<\/p><h2 id=\"decide-what-you-are-looking-for-in-a-therapist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decide What You Are Looking for in a Therapist<\/h2><p>If your young person is old enough and well enough (for example they are not seeing or hearing things that aren&#8217;t there or having a hard time being based in reality), their input should be incorporated to give you a better chance at finding a good match.<\/p><h3 id=\"questions-to-consider-when-searching-for-a-therapist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>Questions to Consider When Searching for a Therapist:<\/h3><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Are you able to engage in tele-therapy either via video chat or phone call?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Should your young person&#8217;s therapist be male or female?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Should you use someone of a similar cultural background?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Should they be someone with similar life experiences?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Should your young person\u2019s therapist be someone who has worked with children experiencing the same things as your young person?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>How old should they be?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>How far are you willing to drive for therapy?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Are you open to an in-home provider?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n<li>Can you pay out-of-pocket or will you want\/need to use your health insurance?&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"BLOOM Presents \/\/ Teen in Crisis\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yoc5RbYQ_No?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><h2 id=\"how-to-find-a-therapist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Find a Therapist<\/h2><p>Once you have a general sense of the answers to these questions you are ready to dive into the search.<\/p><h3 id=\"1-ask-people-you-know-and-trust\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Ask People you Know and Trust&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Ask the people you know and trust (friends, family, co-workers) if there is a therapist that they would recommend. It is likely that you know someone who has engaged in therapy or who knows someone who has. You can get some really good leads that way.<\/p><h3 id=\"2-check-with-the-school-counselor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Check With the School Counselor<\/h3><p>If your loved one is attending a school program, they may have onsite counselors who can provide direct care or helpful resources.\u00a0<\/p><p><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light wp-duotone-rgb225694-rgb23247179-2\" style=\"margin-top:0;padding-top:48px;padding-right:48px;padding-bottom:48px;padding-left:48px;min-height:582px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-30 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"700\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-21455\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen.jpg\" style=\"object-position:81% 44%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"81% 44%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-800x292.jpg 800w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-1160x423.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-320x117.jpg 320w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-1536x560.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-120x44.jpg 120w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-90x33.jpg 90w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-560x204.jpg 560w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/Caregiver_Teen_Talking_screen-600x219.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><h2 id=\"ready-to-elevate-your-parenting-become-a-member-of-the-bloom-family-today\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:33px;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0px;line-height:1.1;text-transform:uppercase\">Ready to elevate your parenting? Become a member of the BLOOM family today! <\/h2>\n\n<h2 id=\"gain-access-to-workshops-coaching-and-a-network-of-supportive-parents-dont-navigate-this-journey-alone\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:33px;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0px;line-height:1.1;text-transform:uppercase\">Gain access to workshops, coaching, and a network of supportive parents. Don\u2019t navigate this journey alone &#8211;<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-font-size is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\" style=\"font-size:27px;font-style:normal;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0px;text-transform:uppercase\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/\" style=\"border-radius:65px;padding-top:11px;padding-right:48px;padding-bottom:11px;padding-left:48px\">JOIN TODAY<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><h3 id=\"3-do-a-general-google-search-for-therapists-in-your-area\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.&nbsp;Do a General Google Search for Therapists in Your Area&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Depending on where you live, the number of therapists in your area will vary. Call as many people on the list that fit your search criteria and leave them a message. It&#8217;s unclear from Google which therapists have a waiting list, and sometimes it can be difficult to decipher if they take your health insurance. So, if you decide to go this route, making a list of who you have called and what you know about them can help you to keep track of it all.<\/p><h3 id=\"4-ask-your-pediatrician-for-a-referral\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Ask Your Pediatrician for a Referral&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Your pediatrician&#8217;s office likely has relationships with mental health providers in the community. Keep in mind that these providers often have a waitlist. Get on the waitlist no matter how long it is. You never know when they will call you and whether or not their services will be helpful.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"5-call-your-insurance-company\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Call Your Insurance Company&nbsp;<\/h3><p>They can give you a list of providers that take your health insurance.<\/p><h3 id=\"6-use-tools-to-search-for-a-therapist-that-fits-your-criteria\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Use Tools to Search for a Therapist That Fits Your Criteria&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Check out the following tools to help you search for a therapist that can help your young person. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top has-border-color has-abb-8-c-3-border-color cnvs-block-core-columns-1680699941856 is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"><div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"185\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/psychology-today_small.png\" alt=\"Psychology Today Logo\" class=\"wp-image-21917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/psychology-today_small.png 185w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/psychology-today_small-120x70.png 120w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/psychology-today_small-90x53.png 90w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 185px) 100vw, 185px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h5 id=\"psychologytoday-com\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PsychologyToday.com<\/a><\/h5>\n\n<p>Filter your search for your young person&#8217;s therapist by geographic area, insurance, specialization, and more.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"185\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/GoodTherapy_small.jpg\" alt=\"Good Therapy logo\" class=\"wp-image-21915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/GoodTherapy_small.jpg 185w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/GoodTherapy_small-120x70.jpg 120w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/GoodTherapy_small-90x53.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 185px) 100vw, 185px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h5 id=\"goodtherapy-org\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoodTherapy.org<\/a><\/h5>\n\n<p>Filter your search for your young person&#8217;s therapist by geographic area, insurance, specialization, and more.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcleanhospital.org\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"185\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/McLean-logo_small.png\" alt=\"McLean hospital\" class=\"wp-image-21916\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/McLean-logo_small.png 185w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/McLean-logo_small-120x70.png 120w, https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/04\/McLean-logo_small-90x53.png 90w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 185px) 100vw, 185px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h5 id=\"mclean-hospitals-support-center\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcleanhospital.org\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McLean Hospital&#8217;s Support Center<\/a><\/h5>\n\n<p>Chat with a customer support representative that can guide you to resources specific to your needs.<\/p><\/div><\/div><p>Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PsychologyToday.com<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoodTherapy.com<\/a>. You can filter your search for your young person&#8217;s therapist by geographic area, insurance, specialization, and more. Also, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcleanhospital.org\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McLean Hospital\u2019s Support Center<\/a> to chat with a customer support representative that can guide you to resources specific to your needs.&nbsp;<\/p><p>These are paid options for therapy via messaging, phone or live video chat. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhelp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Betterhelp.com<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/try.talkspace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Talkspace.com<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pridecounseling.com\/get-started\/?transaction_id=102dca5d36827610159bd32bb932ce&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=2669&amp;utm_medium=Desktop&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=SL2&amp;not_found=1&amp;gor=start_go&amp;go=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pridecounseling.com<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teencounseling.com\/parent_start\/?transaction_id=102a002d50c6155f906afa0dbe1290&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=Forbes+Advisor&amp;utm_medium=Desktop&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=%7BSource%7D&amp;not_found=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teencounseling<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightside.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brightside Health<\/a> (online therapy and medication, specializing in anxiety, depression) for some online therapy options.<\/p><p>Once you set up your young person\u2019s first session with their therapist, just remember: If it doesn&#8217;t work out you can always find someone else and try again. Much like many things in the mental health field, finding a therapist can be a trial and error process. Be open to that process and don&#8217;t get discouraged. It will all be worth it once you&#8217;ve found the right one!<\/p><h3 id=\"7-get-you-your-teen-a-support-network\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">7.&nbsp; Get You &amp; Your Teen a Support Network<\/h3><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.7cups.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7 Cups<br><\/a>Has listeners available especially for teens, so you can chat confidentially whenever you need to. They offer teen community forums, and chat rooms with peers who understand what they are going through.&nbsp;<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/healthunlocked.com\/anxiety-depression-support\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ADAA | Anxiety and Depression Association of America<br><\/a>Offers discussion forums and support group, support for anxiety and depression&nbsp;<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/Support-Education\/Support-Groups\/NAMI-Connection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NAMI Connection<\/a><br>Offers individual and family support meetups in person or virtually in over 600 locations.&nbsp;<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspire.com\/groups\/mental-health-america\/topic\/depression\/?origin=tfr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MHA | Mental Health America<br><\/a> Online mental health support groups for over 20 mental health conditions.&nbsp;<\/p><p><em>This article was originally published on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinnaclepartnerships.org\/post\/2019\/05\/13\/a-parents-guide-choosing-your-childs-therapist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>PinnaclePartnerships.org<\/em><\/a><em> and only minimally edited for clarity. <\/em><\/p><p>Parenting can leave you feeling overwhelmed and alone, but at BLOOM you have a team behind you. Access <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/\" title=\"\">Live and On-Demand Workshops<\/a> led by the experts. Get answers to your most pressing questions through our <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/\" title=\"\">Ask the Expert Platform<\/a>. Find your village and share ideas in our <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/\" title=\"\">Community Group<\/a> surrounded by fellow parents and caregivers. Or get personalized coaching in <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/\" title=\"\">1-on-1 Coaching Sessions<\/a> tailored to your needs. We know raising tweens and teens is hard &#8211; that&#8217;s why we created BLOOM to nurture you through the challenges and help you flourish.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When choosing a therapist, it\u2019s important to find a good match for your teen. Here are 6 tips to help you find the best match.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":22164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,73],"tags":[],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"coauthors":[337],"class_list":{"0":"post-21881","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthy-mind","8":"category-mental-illness"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21881"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=21881"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=21881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}