6 tips to finding a new therapist who has openings. Written by a licensed therapist in Long Beach.
Finding the right therapist who is actually accepting new clients can be one of the most difficult steps in your mental health journey. Here are 6 tips, written by a licensed therapist in Long Beach, to help you in your search:
1: Call Long Beach Therapy at 562-310-9741.
If we don’t have current openings, we will give you referrals of therapists who are taking new clients.
2. Use Online Directories and Referral Sources.
Websites like Psychology Today and Network Therapy are places where therapists advertise so it is more likely that the therapists you find on those sites are actually accepting new clients.
3. Ask for Recommendations:
The negative with using a therapy directory is that you don’t know how good the therapist is. When you talk to friends, family members or a trusted healthcare professional, they may have valuable insights or know of a therapist they have used that they liked. When someone you know refers you, it often times helps the process because you already have a certain level of trust built in.
4. Do an internet search.
Google “therapist near me” or “therapist near me taking new clients” and think about adding your city or zip code to the search, such as “find a therapist who is taking new clients in Long Beach”. From there, you can look up reviews and/or call therapists and have a 5 minute chat so you can get a gut feeling as to whether they would be a good fit. You can also read their bio, therapy approaches and specialties on their website to get an idea if they would meet your needs.
5. Call a bunch of therapists and be patient.
I get calls every week with people telling me “I called 20 therapists and none of them called me back”. Although this is unacceptable because they should at least call you to tell you that they are booked, it is important to know that you aren’t alone in this frustration and THERE ARE GOOD THERAPISTS with appointments available out there. Just keep calling around and don’t give up.
6. Be efficient with your time:
When you call a therapist and leave a message, consider telling them good days and times to call you back, or let them know that they can text you. This can help you avoid phone tag with the therapist because you can text convenient times to each other so that you aren’t waiting all day for a therapist to call you back.
If you have any questions or if you would like to start therapy at Long Beach Therapy, please give us a call at 562-310-9741.