30 Questions to Ask a Therapist During a Consultation

Therapy

Sep 3

Therapy seems to be everywhere nowadays. Therapy speak has become a common part of pop culture dialogue. But what does it really look and feel like to start your own therapy journey? Let’s talk about all the things to know, ask, and learn more about.

Asking a therapist a bunch of questions during an initial consultation can be daunting, especially if you're brand new to therapy. But the process of choosing a therapist requires more than just picking a name from a directory. Just like when you first reached out to potential therapists and sent emails, knowing what questions to ask during that first discussion is crucial for choosing the best therapist for you and making smart decisions about your care.

To ensure that you find someone who's not only qualified but also aligns with your needs and goals, come as prepared as possible. You could ask them a million questions but you only have limited time during this initial consultation, so be sure to pick the ones you’re the most interested in learning more about.

Q1. What qualifications do you have? How long have you been practicing therapy?

The credentials of your potential therapist are a must-know in assessing their capability to provide you with effective treatment. These qualifications could range from being a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), or even more specialized roles such as a substance abuse counselor.

The amount of time a therapist has spent practicing can tell you a bit about their experience with various mental health issues. You might be inclined to think that therapists with 10+ years would be more qualified, but sometimes more experience can come with its own disadvantages. Don’t discount a potential therapist just because they have less than 10 years of experience.

Mental Health Professionals' Credentials Deciphered

If you’re unfamiliar with all of the acronyms associated with mental health therapists, you’re not alone! Credentials differ based on the levels and types of education received by these professionals as well as state to state. Understanding what each designation means helps ensure you're choosing an appropriate professional for addressing your specific needs.

My credentials include the title of LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) with the state of Florida and LPCC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor) with the state of California. That means I had to earn a valid Master’s degree (Masters of Arts in Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Florida), complete extensive post-graduate clinical work, as well as pass the required exam and apply for licensure in both states. It’s not easy to become a licensed therapist, that's for sure! But it was definitely worth it.

Here are a few of the most common credentials:

LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)
LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor)
LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor)
LMHP (Licensed Mental Health Practitioner)
LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)

Q2. How do you approach treatment? What clinical modality do you use?

The therapeutic method or approach that a licensed professional counselor or mental health professional utilizes and specializes in is essential to know before you choose your therapist. Asking this question helps you understand exactly how they view treatment and if it aligns with your needs, experiences and worldview.

From cognitive behavioral therapy to approaching therapy through a narrative lens, there’s a whole lot you can choose from! But don’t let all of the options put you off - they just highlight that the right fit therapist exists because therapeutic options are as diverse as the clients they serve.

From cognitive behavioral therapy to approaching therapy through a narrative lens, there’s a whole lot you can choose from! But don’t let all of the options put you off - the perfect therapist for you does exist. Remember there are countless ways to approach therapy and the key is finding the one that fits you.

A Glimpse into Why Therapists Choose Certain Specialties

Therapists' selection of certain methods isn't arbitrary. It’s usually driven by factors such as personal experiences, breakthrough research findings, or mentorship under esteemed professionals during their educational or clinical training years.

It is important to find a therapist that is equipped to effectively handle your specific needs. You don’t want to start working with a therapist only to discover four sessions in that they have a completely different philosophy to your own.

Q3. Do you have experience providing therapy to people with similar issues as mine?

You wouldn’t ask your dentist to fix your ear ache, would you? Well, the same principle applies here. Because therapists specialize in the issues they treat, techniques, methods, etc., it’s important to uncover if they’ve had previous experience working with your specific issues.

Choosing a therapist with the proper experience can sometimes be much more important than a therapist with who has been in practice for years. For example, a therapist may focus primarily on grief and loss, therefore gaining particular knowledge that can only be learned through specialized experience. That makes them more valuable to work with if their specialties align with your individual needs and issues.

Determining a Therapist's Proficiency

Here are a few direct questions that might be helpful to determine if a particular therapist is a good fit for your therapeutic needs.

Awareness: Are they knowledgeable about my particular issue? Do they understand its nuances?
Prior Cases: Have there been instances where this problem was dealt with successfully under their guidance before?
Treatment Approach: What kind of therapeutic process did they follow during those successful treatments? Was it something I am comfortable pursuing myself?

Every individual responds differently, even towards identical treatment plans; hence results will vary person-to-person.

If you’re still searching for the right therapist, book a free consultation with yours truly! It’s simply a 15-minute, no-pressure chat to understand your issues and see if we’d be a good fit.

Q4. What are your policies around cancellations, insurance, and payments?

This knowledge can protect you from unexpected costs and financial inconveniences. Licensed therapists and counselors typically maintain specific guidelines for cancellations. These policies aim to honor both your time and that of the mental health professional.

More specifically, cancellations often result in an unoccupied slot that could have been utilized by another client requiring support. For that reason therapists generally require 24 to 48-hour notice if there’s a need to cancel or reschedule your therapy appointment.

Insurance eligibility and requirements differ from therapist to therapist, so be sure to take a note if the therapists you’re considering accept your insurance or not. If they do not, be sure to check with your insurance provider to see what out-of-pocket expenses you would be responsible for. It is also important to discuss what payment options are accepted by the therapist you are considering.

Possible Charges for Unattended Appointments

Frequently, failure to comply with a therapist’s cancellation policy may lead to being billed for the session. The precise amount would likely depend on various factors, such as whether this was a one-time occurrence or a repeated instance without appropriate notification.

Be sure to ask:

What duration of advance notice do you require for no-fee cancellations?
If I miss an appointment due to unforeseen circumstances (like sudden illness), will I still be charged?
If the start of our session is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances on my end, how long would you wait before marking me absent?

This discussion about cancellation policies should ideally take place during the initial consultation. Speaking from experience as a licensed mental health counselor, clear communication from day one always proves beneficial over time.

Q5. How much will it cost?

The price tag associated with a therapist’s mental health care is arguably the first question you should ask. If they’re not covered by your insurance, then you need to know what your out-of-pocket cost would be. If they are covered, it is still important to contact your insurance provider to better understand if there might be any unforeseen additional costs.

Because therapists come in all shapes and credentials, are located in different places, and have varying years of experience, it’s helpful to ask how much similarly qualified and similarly located therapists charge on average. That way, you can better understand exactly what you’re paying for.

It can also be helpful to ask the therapist you're considering if you can use HSA and/or FSA funds. A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. A Flexible Spending Account (FSA, also called a “flexible spending arrangement”) is a special account you put money into that you use to pay for certain out-of-pocket health care costs.

You should also know that certain professionals might provide sliding scale fees depending on different income levels while others maintain fixed charges per session. During your initial consultations with potential therapists, it's important to inquire about their fee structure.

For example, at Sage & Sunshine Therapy, payment is due at the time of service, and I can provide you with a Superbill — a receipt for your session — that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Your Superbill will reflect the service date, the service codes needed for your insurance, the billed amount, and my credentials.

In certain circumstances, out-of-network billing may be available. You’d need to contact your insurance provider to ensure they’ll cover your session. If they do, I’ll create an invoice for you as an out-of-network (OON) provider for your insurance. This allows you to be reimbursed at your plan’s established rate once your mental health deductible is met.

Being well-informed about the financial aspect of working with a therapist can help you strategize effectively, ensuring that hiring a therapist doesn’t turn into an additional stressor.

Q6. How will I know it's working?

Starting therapy for the first time, you’ll want to understand how you’ll know it’s working. Your potential therapist should be able to clearly communicate how they’ll assess and determine the effectiveness of therapy sessions for your specific issues. Alongside their methods, you can follow these guidelines to help track your progress at home:

1. Identify Changes

The first sign to look for in this journey is an observable shift in your thoughts and behavior. Changes can include gaining better control over work anxiety, managing relationships more effectively, or navigating life transitions with more ease. You might find it useful to keep a journal that tracks your progress and milestones over time. That way, you can easily look back and see where you started to see how far you’ve come.

2. Therapist Feedback

Your therapist plays a pivotal role too; they should provide regular feedback regarding their perception of your progression throughout a given timeframe - whether that’s 6 weeks or 6 months.

3. Feedback From Others

Oftentimes, those around us like friends, family, and coworkers, notice changes before we do. Receiving positive observations about shifts in mood, thoughts, or behavior from those around you may indicate that things are beginning to shift and change for you.

Remember: every individual's healing journey looks different, so try not to compare yours to someone else's.

Q7. How should I prepare for my first session?

The thought of your very first therapy session can feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, but fear not. With some thoughtful preparation, you can approach the session feeling confident and ready to begin this important journey in your life.

1. Define Your Goals Clearly

A crucial first step is identifying what you hope to achieve through therapy. Are work-related anxieties troubling you? Or perhaps it's personal relationships or life transitions causing distress?

Prioritizing these issues before stepping into your first session will allow for more productive discussions about personalized treatment plans tailored specifically towards achieving these goals.

As a part of the therapeutic process, you and your therapist will create a treatment plan that will outline in detail the issues you would like to address and the steps that you will take to work towards these goals. Your therapist will review your progress throughout treatment and make any necessary changes to the treatment plan. Oftentimes, therapists can utilize S.M.A.R.T. goals to help make the journey more tangible, manageable, and inspiring. Then visualize yourself attaining these goals to kick-off with your best foot forward!

2. Assemble Pertinent Information

If other mental health professionals, such as a psychiatrist, are currently involved in treating any existing conditions you may have, ensure that this information is readily available during consultation sessions with potential therapists.

It’s important that potential therapists are fully aware of what you are currently experiencing to determine if they’d be a good fit for you and your therapeutic needs. You don’t need to bring anything extensive (i.e. pages and pages), however, it’d definitely be helpful to have the most pertinent documents ready in case they ask for more information including current medications

3. Understand Different Therapeutic Approaches

When it comes to your specific issues, it’s very important to have at least a basic understanding of potential methods for care. An informed patient has an edge when it comes to making decisions about their mental health care plan; hence understanding different types of therapies like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), CBT, DBT, etc., becomes vital.

Whether you do a bunch of research on Google or have previously consulted a mental health practitioner, having this knowledge during your first session will better prepare you to speak about your care from a place of confidence and strength.

Q8. Can I be certain that anything shared with you will remain private and confidential?

Everyone’s heard of lawyer-client confidentiality, but does that principle apply to therapist-client? In short, yes it does! The role of confidentiality in therapy is paramount. Providing a safe and secure environment for clients to openly discuss their feelings and experiences is a staple in every licensed therapeutic relationship.

All licensed mental health professionals in the United States are ethically obligated to uphold client confidentiality. This means they cannot disclose any information about their patients without explicit permission.

Of course, nothing is ever black and white. In certain cases where safety is a concern, such as when there are imminent threats of harm to oneself or others, or suspicions of child abuse, these confidentiality boundaries may need to be crossed.

Your Privacy Rights Under HIPAA

You also have rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which safeguards your medical records and other personal health details held by healthcare providers, including licensed therapists and counselors. These rules apply regardless of whether communication happens electronically, on paper, or verbally.

Under HIPAA, here’s what’s protected for you:

Information your doctors, nurses, and other health care providers put in your medical record
Conversations your doctor has about your care or treatment with nurses and others
Information about you in your health insurer’s computer system
Billing information about you at your clinic
Most other health information about you held by those who must follow these laws

Q9. Can I rely on you to provide undivided attention and focus even if your client base is large?

This question is totally valid, especially when seeking therapy from busy mental health professionals like licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), or substance abuse counselors.

In other words, regardless of the number of patients they handle in their practice, each client should receive appropriate undivided attention and personalized care during every therapy session. Good therapists follow clear boundaries that ensure everyone gets equal care without feeling rushed or overlooked (even if there are high patient volumes).

However, you might want to inquire about their typical weekly caseload along with the duration for each session. This will help bring to light if they’re likely to be overbooked at times, which could potentially affect your treatment plan.