Reya Care: Screening a Potential Therapist
We recently connected with Arianna at Reya Care. Reya Care is changing the conversation around mental health and therapy. They helps you find, assess, and work with a therapist who meets your unique needs.
They will give you the information and tools to take the guesswork out of a stressful, confusing process.
We are happy to partner with Reya to share some great information that will help you if you are looking for a therapist or have any questions about therapy in general.
Be sure to check out Reya Care if you need help finding your perfect therapist.
Congrats! You found a therapist that looks like they might be a fit — what do you do next?! To ensure you’re equipped to assess your potential therapists and find the provider for you, we’ve created this guide taking you through the process from the first contact to the final decision.
Reaching Out
Give them a call or send them an email to find time to talk:
Emailing them will give you the time to prepare them for a conversation and show you how responsive they’ll be to outreach, it can also save you the time of phone tag. An easy getting started email is here:
II hope this email finds you well! My name is XXX, I’m currently looking for a therapist and wanted to see if you had availability for new patients. If yes, I’d love to discuss further. Are you open to scheduling a phone call to discuss your style and schedule? Regarding cost, I see on your site you accept X insurance, is that still the case? (IF NO INSURANCE) I see you don’t take insurance do you offer a sliding scale or patients who require it, would you mind sharing your rates? Have a great week!
If you decide to call right away make sure that you outline what you’re looking for in the discussion, especially if you’re leaving a voicemail.
Calling is important because you’ll spend a lot of time with this person; whether or not you like talking to them is one of the most important things to determine. Additionally, it can be easier to have a conversation on all the financial options available to you if you’re discussing on the phone.
Getting to know them
Basic questions to get started:
What is your availability?
What do you consider the most important component of a therapeutic relationship?
What do you expect from your patients?
Your site says you take X insurance, is that still accurate?
How do you continue learning?
Assessing cultural competency — One starter question brought to us by Dr. Mama Kam — Can you please share with me your thoughts about the psychological impact of white supremacy/racism/oppression?
Questions specific to you:
[Share an experience you’re currently struggling with], how would you help me work through this?
These are the things [your areas of focus] I expect to work through, do you think we’d be a therapeutic fit?
Interpreting their responses
How you feel:
The goal of therapy is to make sure you’re assessing your feelings and getting what you need. After their answers take stock of how you feel:
Could you trust them to help you?
Do you feel that they are well-suited to addressing what you’re working through?
Did their answers seem well-thought-out?
The logistics of therapy:
Therapy is a practice thinking through the logistics of it is important to maintaining your care:
Can you envision yourself regularly fitting them into your schedule?
Can you see yourself making it to their office on a regular basis (post-quarantine)?
Are they covered by your insurance?
If they’re covered by your insurance: Can you afford to see them regularly? If you are going to be reimbursed by your insurance, can you afford to wait for reimbursement?
If they’re not covered by your insurance: Can you afford to see them out-of-pocket? Do they offer sliding-scale rates?
Selecting a match
Therapy is a deeply personal experience. After your calls and logistics assessment, think about with whom you feel best embarking on this journey. If you’re having a hard time deciding, you can always try multiple therapists for one session each to understand the best fit.
There are always other options. If you love a therapist who doesn’t have availability, ask them to refer you to colleagues who may be a fit.
Interested in learning more, sign up for Reya’s mailing list here.