Considering reaching out to a new relationship or couples therapist? A phone consultation with the therapist of your choosing is a great way to start. This call will help you get to know the clinician you will be working with before committing to the process! Understandably, clients often don’t fully understand what they might be looking for in a qualified therapist during the phone consultation. Here are some examples below of questions you may want to ask! These are meant to help find the right therapist for you and your partner.
“How long have you been practicing therapy with couples?”. Even if the clinician says they have 20 years of therapy experience, they may not have worked specifically with couples during that whole time period. Sometimes clinicians can change their specialty mid-career, so they could have just started their focus on couples recently. It’s important to know the level of experience they have with couples and relationships.
“Do you specialize in working with couples?”. There are many clinicians out there that see all age ranges and presenting problems, especially for the first few years they are starting out in the field. That certainly is a great way for new clinicians to gain experience in diverse areas of therapy, but that could mean that the clinician is not specialized in working with couples or relationships. Being specialized means having specific training and extensive experience in that area of therapy.
As a follow up from the last question, “What specialized training do you have in couples therapy?”. Do they have additional training specifically in relationship or couples therapy? If so, what is it? There are a plethora of training modules for couples therapists, including The Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, to name a few.
“Do you have experience working with couples that have our same relationship concerns?”. During the consultation you may want to inform the clinician of what your relationship concerns are, to make sure they are a good fit for you. For example, there are therapists that do not have a lot of experience working with infidelity or betrayal. Also, if you are currently in a nontraditional relationship, make sure the clinician has experience in working with that relationship orientation. There are many therapists that do not have experience working with open, ethically non-monogamous (enm), or polyamorous clients.
“Will we be working directly with you for therapy services? And if not, who?”. At large group practices sometimes the practice owner, intake coordinator, or administrative assistant will conduct a phone consultation or answer initial emails. That is why it is important to know who you will be working with directly for services. Once you know who your therapist is, find out information on that specific clinician before committing to the process.
“What license do you have?”. If you are unfamiliar with the different mental health licenses, that’s understandable! See my Frequently Asked Questions page for information on the appropriate licenses that can work with relationships or couples.
“What approaches do you use?”. Understandably, most clients don’t fully understand all of the therapeutic modalities used by clinicians. Doing a little research on your own to understand the basics may help you to be an active participate in the treatment planning process. However, it is not a requirement in order to start therapy! To find out more about the Gottman Method you can visit the Gottman Method website, or this page of Sara’s website to find out more. To learn about Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, you can visit Dr. Sue Johnson’s website here or this page of Sara’s website.
“Is everything at your business HIPAA-compliant?”. Does the therapist have a HIPAA-compliant business email or phone, and not a personal email? Do they use a HIPAA-compliant mental health video platform? There are certain elements that make email, phone, and video platforms become HIPAA-compliant. This includes signing legal documents such as BAAs (Business Associate Agreements) so that your information is secure with any other third-parties your therapist uses to conduct business.
“What does a typical session look like?”. This one is especially important if you have never been in therapy before and are wanting to get a glimpse into what sessions will be like! Every therapist is different in their approach and how they conduct therapy.
Last, but not least, it is also important to know a few administrative items such as payment and cancellation policies. “How much do you charge per session?” or “What is your cancellation policy?” are good questions to ask before starting, in case you need referrals to someone else who takes your insurance or fits in with your budget.
Looking for more information on what couples therapy may look like? Check out this article from The Gottman Institute on “What to Expect When You Go to Couples Therapy”.
Reach out to Sara today for any additional questions you may have!