Quick Overview: Yes. You can build a shortlist of individual therapy options before making contact. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration advises identifying professionals or programs to contact and considering whether they are taking new patients, have appointments or meetings that fit your schedule, accept insurance or offer free or low-cost services, and include qualities important to you. The National Institute of Mental Health identifies insurance lists, professional directories, advocacy locators, and university-affiliated programs as places to find therapy options. A shortlist can consist of options you may want to contact and questions you want answered directly.
Building a Shortlist of Individual Therapy Options
SAMHSA advises people to identify health care professionals, programs, or support groups they want to reach out to. During a search, SAMHSA suggests looking for treatment or support that accepts insurance or offers free or low-cost services, is taking new patients, has open appointments or meetings that fit a person’s schedule, and includes qualities that are important to that person.
For individual therapy options, a shortlist can name the professionals or programs you may wish to contact. It can also distinguish between information already provided by an option and questions that remain unanswered. Availability, scheduling, fees, insurance, and other practical details can be addressed directly with the professional or program.
NIMH states that therapists have different professional backgrounds and specialties. It also states that the approach a therapist uses depends on training and experience and the condition being treated. NIMH advises asking prospective therapists about specialty, the approach they use, and the rationale and evidence base for that approach.
Places to identify options
NIMH identifies several places to find therapy options: insurance lists, professional directories, advocacy locators, and university-affiliated programs. NIMH also notes that universities or medical schools may have affiliated programs that offer treatment options, including training clinics.
SAMHSA suggests asking someone you trust for a recommendation if you are comfortable doing so. Its examples include a doctor, social worker, loved one, or trusted friend. SAMHSA notes that there are many types of support available and that it can be helpful to speak with more than one person for a recommendation.
NIMH states that it does not evaluate the professional qualifications and competencies of individual practitioners listed on the websites it names. It describes those resources as informational and says that an organization’s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by NIMH, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. government.
Practical details to ask about
SAMHSA identifies insurance, free or low-cost services, new-patient availability, open appointments or meetings, schedule fit, and personally important qualities as search considerations. These considerations can become questions for each professional or program on your shortlist.
NIMH also identifies questions about treatment fees, insurance, and sliding-scale fees. NIMH states that a preliminary conversation with one or more possible therapists can help a person understand how treatment will proceed and whether they feel comfortable with the therapist. According to NIMH, these conversations may happen in person, by phone, or virtually.
NIMH lists additional questions about a therapist’s specialty, therapeutic approach, rationale and evidence base, goals of therapy, recommended time frame or number of sessions, and how progress will be assessed. These are questions NIMH identifies for a prospective therapist; they do not determine personal fit or outcomes for an individual reader.
Reflection Questions for a Therapy Shortlist
The questions below reflect search considerations identified by SAMHSA and questions listed by NIMH. They are prompts for considering what you want to ask each option.
| Reflection question | What could I ask directly? |
|---|---|
| Where did I find this individual therapy option? | Was it listed through insurance, a directory, an advocacy locator, a university-affiliated program, or a recommendation? |
| Is this option taking new patients? | What current availability can the professional or program share? |
| Are there appointments or meetings that fit my schedule? | What scheduling information is available? |
| What information is available about fees or insurance? | Does the option accept insurance or offer free, low-cost, or sliding-scale services? |
| What qualities are important to me? | What would I like to know about specialty, approach, or how treatment proceeds? |
| What questions remain unanswered? | What would I like to ask in a preliminary conversation or consultation? |
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
NIMH lists questions about specialty, approach, evidence base, goals, progress assessment, fees, insurance, and sliding-scale fees. At Rooted Integrative Therapy, the FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as the first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
- What is the process for getting started with individual therapy?
- What appointment availability and scheduling information can you share?
- What approach do you use, and what rationale and evidence base do you describe?
- What are the goals of therapy, and how is progress assessed?
- What fees, insurance information, or sliding-scale information can you share?
Practice Note: Rooted Integrative Therapy
Rooted Integrative Therapy is the practice of Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW. The practice lists individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, and therapy intensives among its services.
Rooted Integrative Therapy lists in-person therapy near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah. Its Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through the contact details or form on that page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I start finding individual therapy options?
NIMH identifies insurance lists, professional directories, advocacy locators, and university-affiliated programs as places to find therapy options. SAMHSA also suggests asking someone you trust for a recommendation if you are comfortable doing so.
What should I consider when building a shortlist?
SAMHSA advises considering whether an option accepts insurance or offers free or low-cost services, is taking new patients, has open appointments or meetings that fit your schedule, and includes qualities that are important to you.
What can I ask a prospective therapist?
NIMH lists questions about specialty, therapeutic approach, rationale and evidence base, therapy goals, time frame, progress assessment, fees, insurance, and sliding-scale fees.
Is a consultation call the first step at Rooted Integrative Therapy?
The practice’s FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as the first step. The FAQs describe the call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Can I send an appointment request to Rooted Integrative Therapy?
Yes. The Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through its contact details or form.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Health Care Or Support
A Grounded Next Step
If you want to contact Rooted Integrative Therapy, its Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests. The practice’s FAQs describe a consultation call as a first step for asking questions and considering fit.
Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.