Questions to Ask a Therapist in Oakland, CA

Finding a therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area can be tough. You’ve already narrowed down your list to a few therapists that look like they might work.  They all seem fine enough, but with so many therapists to choose from, how do you know for sure that they’re the one?

A consultation call can help! A consultation is a short meeting (typically by phone) to determine whether the therapist would be a good fit for you. The therapist will ask questions about what’s bringing you into therapy to get a sense of if they have the training and experience to support you. Not all therapists are going to be the right fit. It can be really helpful to ask the therapist questions to get a sense of if they can help.

But, what questions should you ask? What should you say? Here are some ideas of questions to ask a prospective therapist during your initial consult call.

Questions to ask a Therapist in Oakland, CA

Question #1: Do you share a similar identity to me, or have experience working with clients like me?

Working with someone who understands your lived experience can make a big difference in feeling comfortable in therapy.  After all, you are sharing intimate personal stuff! It’s important that your therapist affirms your culture, race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, or any other important aspects of your identity. It’s ok to ask if the therapist’s identity aligns with yours- culture, race, gender identity/expression, spiritual orientation, etc- or they have experience working with individuals who identify similar to you.

Question #2: Do you specialize in working with the issues I am looking for help with?

Working with someone who specializes in what you’re looking for help with can save you a lot of time and energy.  For example, if you are experiencing PTSD or complex trauma, a therapist that specializes in those areas will likely be better able to support you than a therapist who does not have that specialized training/ experience.

Question #3: Can you explain to me what type of treatment styles you will use?

There are so many different treatment styles and approaches out there! It can be confusing to know which one is going to help you. Asking the therapist to explain how their treatment approach works can give you valuable information that will help you determine if the therapist/ approach is a good fit for your specific needs.

Question #4: How do I know if therapy is working?

If you don’t want to be in therapy forever, it can be helpful to get a sense of how the therapist tracks progress to make sure that you are reaching your goals in therapy.  Some therapists/ treatments for specific issues are more long-term, while others are more short-term. It can be helpful to ask the therapist to help set expectations around what you can expect to notice 3 months, 6 months, 9 months down the line if therapy is working. 

Question #5: Do you think that we’re “a good fit”?

While you are interviewing the therapist, we are also interviewing you! Therapy works best when there’s a good fit between the therapist and client. Not every therapist will be the right fit for you and that’s ok.  As a therapist, we have an ethical duty to determine if our training, experience, and approach can help you, or if there’s someone else that we think can better help you. It’s okay to ask if we think we can help!

I hope this helps you find the right therapist in Oakland, CA. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation through my contact page. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with anxiety & stress, complex trauma & PTSD, addictive behaviors, or couples counseling, you can read more about how I can help here.