HOW TO FIND A THERAPIST
California is known for its iconic beaches, restaurants, and pier. Young professionals come for the start-up opportunities and stay for the relaxed Southern California lifestyle. As good as that sounds, life still happens. These people may experience problems too big to handle alone and need someone trustworthy to talk to. If they have never been to counseling before, how do they go about finding a therapist, a counselor, a life coach, or a psychologist?
There are two types of people who search for a therapist: the first person is sick of a longstanding problem. They have tried workshops, retreats, and meditation. They have read all the books and journaled. Nothing has helped. The second person’s daily life is made worse because of their problem. They’re stressed out, angry, or depressed. Their mind is foggy, and they wish someone would tell them what to do. You may be one of these people searching for a therapist. I’d like to help by pointing out a few places you can start looking.
Word of Mouth
If you’re like me, you put a lot of trust in word-of-mouth referrals from people you already know. To find a therapist, you might consider asking your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, pastor, priest, hairstylist, barber, nail designer, or massage therapist—somebody will have just the information you’re looking for.
Google Search
If Google knows your location, you can type in “therapists near me” or “online therapists in Santa Monica, California” .” Some of my clients searched Google for “how to find a therapist of color near me” and “how to find an online therapist in California.” If Google doesn’t know your location, simply add your zip code to your search phrase.
Therapist Directories
Internet therapist directories are great resources when searching for a counselor. You can narrow your search according to your wish list, such as specifically requesting a male or female therapist, one who works primarily with your problem or population, or one who works with a particular model or has a specific specialty. You can also search based on whether they accept your insurance or are cash pay. Here are a few online directories to get you going:
Medical Insurance
If you have medical insurance, first check your insurer’s website for a list of mental health professionals near your home or work. Second, call your insurer for help navigating their directory or if you have questions about how to use your plan.
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective
Open Path Collective is a reduced-fee directory for those in financial need. They are a nonprofit service that asks you to pay a small one-time lifetime. After that, the per-session fee will range between $30 and $60 for individual counseling and between $30 and $80 for couples and family counseling (fees are subject to change). For more information, please click here.
Mental Health Centers
If you live in Los Angeles County or in the City of Santa Monica, there are very good, accessible community-based mental health centers. They offer reduced-fee therapy using a sliding-scale payment system.
Southern California Counseling Center
Antioch University Counseling Center
I hope the search options I’ve provided help you find the right counselor in California and online. If you have specific questions, please book a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’ll be happy to listen and direct you to the right person.
Brigitte Knight is a mental health therapist and Human Design mentor and educator specializing in Generators and Projectors.
She teaches people how to use Human Design to improve communication at home and at work.
She supports ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses during their transition into the real world. Helping them decrease anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
Her life experience and experience as a Registered Nurse, psychotherapist, and Human Design Specialist can help you start living your best life.