How To Find the Right Therapist for You

Tips for Finding the Right Mental Health Professional to Meet Your Needs

Finding the right mental health professional (psychotherapist) is like finding a well-fitting shoe, a trusted friend, or a house in which you feel comfortable, safe, and secure. In other words, it can take some time. The first step is to figure out what your needs and priorities are. To help you get started, here are some questions to ask yourself:

What are you hoping to get out of this therapeutic relationship? 

• An understanding of the mood changes you’ve been experiencing (e.g., grief or sadness, depression, irritability, mood swings, anxiety)? 

• Emotional support? 

• A safe place to share your thoughts and feelings? 

• Tips on how to feel better and achieve peace of mind? 

• Stress management strategies? 

• Strategies to improve your sleep? 

• Helpful resources? 

• Something else? 

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to a lot of these, try to identify which are most important to you. 

What are your top priorities? 

• A therapist who is knowledgeable about MS? 

• A therapist who is covered by your insurance? 

• In-person therapy within a reasonable distance? 

• A therapist whose office is accessible for a wheelchair or other mobility aids? 

• Virtual therapy that you can do from home? 

• Individual, family, and/or group support? 

• A person you like and whose style seems to mesh well with yours? 

• Something else? 

What type of therapist are you looking for? 

• Psychologist or neuropsychologist – for help with coping and adapting, emotional distress, relationship challenges, and/or problems with thinking and memory 

• Health psychologist – for care focused around living fully and well with a chronic illness 

• Licensed clinical social worker or counselor – for psychotherapy related coping, adjustment, and relationship issues 

• Family therapist – for help specifically related to couples’ and or family challenges 

• Sleep specialist 

• Psychiatrist who can prescribe medications, if needed 

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions; they are simply meant to help guide your search. Any one priority might have to take precedence. For example, if you need to choose from therapists who are covered by your insurance, you may not find someone with expertise in MS or health psychology. Or, there may not be a therapist within a reasonable distance from your home whose office is accessible or accepts your insurance. Your search will identify the therapists who best meet your goals and priorities.  

Whichever type of therapist you choose to see, it is important that they be licensed in your state and carry malpractice insurance.  

Why Therapy, and Why Now?

At this point you may be thinking “I never needed therapy before, so why should I go to all this effort now?” My personal bias is that virtually anyone can benefit from therapy at various growth or transition points in their life. But let’s say that your life until MS came along was pretty smooth, enjoyable, productive, and satisfying. Has MS – and its related changes and challenges – caused new issues, such as grief and/or depression, increased anxiety, uncertainty about your employment, communication issues with your partner, worries about finding a partner, relationship challenges, intimacy and sexuality concerns, parenting concerns, worries about how to plan for the unpredictable future? If these or any other changes have occurred in your life, psychotherapy can be a very helpful resource for you. It provides an opportunity for you to focus on you – your feelings, needs, priorities, and goals – in a safe space. 

Once you’ve figured out your goals for therapy (or at least the concerns you want to address) and you’ve thought about your priorities, it’s time to start your search. Here are a few resources you can tap to find a therapist who might fit the bill.  

• National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Click here to find a list of mental health providers in your area with expertise in MS. Some of the mental health professionals on this list are independent practitioners while others work in a comprehensive MS center. You can also contact an MS Navigator® at 1-800-344-4867 to ask for names of mental health providers.  

• Psychology Today Directory Specialized Therapist Search – Search by zip code and find a list of therapists you can filter by issue, insurance, type of treatment. 
• Theravive –  Click here for a network of professional clinical counselors, therapists, and psychologists whose goal is to make mental health care affordable and accessible.  

• Rowan Center for Behavioral Medicine – A Virtual and in-person therapy practice.

The therapist profiles on these sites typically include the therapist’s picture, areas of interest and expertise, therapy style, insurance information, in-person vs. virtual availability, and whether they offer free consultations, among other bits of information. Call someone who seems to offer what you’re looking for and schedule an initial appointment. This will be your chance to share your goals and priorities, learn about their background and therapy style, ask questions, and see whether you think this person might be a good fit for you.  

Finding the “right” therapist is a bit like using a dating app. You will likely need to meet a few before you find the person who best meets your needs. You may like and trust the first person you meet or you may have a session or two with a few who don’t quite do it for you. And that’s OK!  

If you know that you aren’t feeling like yourself but want to know more about what might be going on before you reach out to a therapist, you can get a free and confidential online screening from Mental Health America. Go to https://screening.mhanational.org/ to take a brief, well-validated screening test for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or a variety of other mental health conditions. The results of your screening test(s) are available to you immediately – to help you get a better understanding of what emotional difficulties you might be experiencing and/or to share with your primary care or mental health provider. 

Finding a therapist to partner with you in your efforts to feel better and get on with living your best life isn’t easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Can Do MS if you have questions or concerns about your next steps.