Below are some preliminary questions you should ask when speaking with a Mental Health Therapist.

1.     What is your educational background?
2.     Are you licensed in the state where treatment will be provided?
3.     Tell your Therapist a little about the issues causing your emotional and behavioral distress, and ask them if they have experience working with individuals with similar difficulties.
4.     How long have you been in practice and why did you choose this field of study?
5.     What insurance plans do you accept at your practice?   Does the practice offer a sliding scale fee schedule?
6.     What is your availability for appointments?  Are weekend and evening appointments available?
7.     If I am experiencing a mental health emergency, what plan of action should you follow?
8.     What is the duration of each session and how frequent are sessions scheduled?
9.     How is care coordinated with other specialty providers involved with your care? Such as Primary Care Providers and Psychiatrists.
10.     What types of treatment options are available?  (i.e. telephone consultations, video chat, office visits, online or email therapy, etc.)