As a psychologist, I cannot ignore my own bias. I believe that psychologists are best at doing therapy. However, I cannot say that all psychologists are good, and I cannot claim that all social workers, mental health workers, or psychiatrists are bad. There are some very capable social workers who I refer cases to and some psychiatrists who I believe are great pharmacologists and diagnosticians. Having said all of that, here are my suggestions for finding a good clinician.
To start with, you need to answer a few basic questions:
Do you have insurance that covers mental health? What are your benefits per calendar year, and how are they really determined? Contact your insurance carrier and ask what are their usual and customary fees for therapy, what percentage of the fees do they cover, and what is your co-payment. I expect they will say we cannot give you that information because we do not know the CPT codes the therapist will be using. well, I can help you there. The three most common codes are: the initial session code is 90801, individual therapy is 90806, and family therapy is 90847.
In regard to using your insurance be aware that your confidentiality could be affected. So, think, do I have a problem that I do not want ANYONE to find out about? If I want complete privacy, can I afford to go privately?
If you need to use your insurance, and then contact your insurance company and get as many names of clinicians in your area as you can. They usually only give you a few. Many times the person who you speak to is only looking at a computerized list and they may not know the clinician's specialties or the closeness to your location. After obtaining names, you can call local hospitals and professional mental health associations and ask if they know the clinicians. If the patient is an adult, you can contact the primary care physician to ascertain if they know of the mental health professional. If the patient is a child, call your pediatrician, or the school psychologist, to ask for clearance on the names you received from the insurance carrier.
If you are having a specific problem that requires specialized training (e.g. eating disorders, marriage issues, substance abuse, etc.), it may be helpful to contact organizations or self-help groups to get names that they may recommend.
Lastly, and most importantly, call the professionals and ask them all the questions you need to on the phone. In a few short minutes you can get a sense of what they are like, if you are comfortable with them, and if they sound knowledgeable. Trust your own judgment, because no matter what the treatment style or approach of the therapist is, you have to be comfortable and trust them.
To check on whether a psychologist or social worker is licensed, you can verify someone’s license by calling the licensing board in your state.
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3 comments:
In your entry, you said that you should call the psychologist before you decide to visit them, what questions would you suggest asking?
This is new to me, and I really don't know what to ask. Thanks!
Newbe 17 ,
In response to your comment here are my questions:
How long have they been practicing?
Do they have the specific training to deal with the issues you are having?
What is their clinical orientation-cognitive/behavioral, analytic, etc.? Does their style of therapy work for you?
Do you like how they sound on the phone? Do you feel you could be comfortable talking to them and trusting them with your most intimate issues and problems?
Do they accept your insurance or have fees that are comfortable for yuour financial status?
If you like what you hear than make an appointment. You still can make a few appointments with therapists until you find the one you like the most.
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