How to Find a Therapist in Houston
Finding a therapist in Houston can be overwhelming to say the least. Many people seek out therapy during a vulnerable time, and it can be hard to know where to even start with finding a therapist who is a good fit. Many of the high-achieving adults I work with are interested in therapy to better manage stress and burn out, so it’s easy to understand why the idea of finding a therapist could feel like yet another task to add to a never-ending to do list.
If you feel overwhelmed with the idea of finding a therapist, you're not alone! It can be hard to know where to turn when you already feel overwhelmed with the weight of responsibilities and challenges life has thrown at you. In this post, I’ll provide some tips that I hope are helpful in finding the right therapist for you.
Searching for a Houston Therapist
To narrow your search down, it can be helpful to consider what you are looking for in a therapist. You might start with thinking about what you are needing (or hoping to get) out of therapy. What is the reason you are seeking support for therapy right now? If you are struggling with anxiety during a life transition in your early 20’s, you’ll likely want to find a therapist who specializes in anxiety, life transitions, and working with young adults. There are plenty of therapists who have a specific “niche”, so you’ll want to look for a therapist who has a niche that really resonates with you. This can be important for finding a therapist who really understands what you’re going through and has experience working with others in similar situations.
You also might want to consider what approach you’d prefer from a therapist. Are you interested in working with someone who has a fresh, modern approach, or someone who works from a more traditional, old-school lens? Are you looking for a very structured, direct approach, or someone who primarily listens and lets you take the lead in therapy sessions? Many therapists offer a combination of these approaches, but it can be helpful to understand what type of approach a therapist primarily works from, so you can decide what might work best for your needs.
This can also help narrow down your search if you’re looking for a therapist on google. It can make it a bit easier to use more specific search terms like “Online Therapist in Houston for Anxiety”. There are also many therapist directories that can help you find a therapist based on what you’re navigating. Psychologytoday.com is one of the main therapist directories where you can find a ton of therapists in your area and with specific specialities you are looking for.
Word of mouth can be very powerful as well, as this is how many people find a therapist today. If you feel comfortable, you can start by asking a few friends if they know of any therapists that they’d recommend. I’ve also seen people on the local facebook groups asking other group members who they’d recommend for therapy (you can post anonymously if you prefer).
Online Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy
When thinking about therapy sessions, you’ll want to consider if you have a preference for in-person or online therapy. Online therapy will give you the option to work with any therapist in your state, which allows for more options with finding a therapist who is a good fit. Online therapy can also reduce barriers to attending therapy sessions regularly (not having to drive through traffic, deal with bad weather, coordinate child care, or leave the office during the day). However, some people do prefer in-person therapy sessions, so if this is the case for you, you’ll want to make sure you find a therapist who is able to offer this. If you are unsure of what your preference is, you can always reach out to a therapist and ask questions about what online therapy is like compared to in-person therapy.
Preferences In a Houston Therapist
Some people know they would prefer a female therapist over a male therapist, and vice versa. Some would prefer a therapist who is older with 20+ years of experience, while others may prefer a younger therapist who they feel can relate to what they are navigating (and understand what they are talking about when they mention the latest trends on instagram or TikTok). Someone who identifies as gay might prefer a therapist who also identifies as gay, or someone with a specific culture or race might prefer a therapist with a similar lived experience. There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a therapist — it’s all about who you would feel the most comfortable opening up with and being your most authentic self.
Sometimes it can be helpful to challenge why you might have one preference over the other. It is not uncommon for us to want something specific but actually need or benefit from something totally different. For example, if you are a man who struggles with vulnerability and it feels “weird” to think about crying with another man (like a male therapist), that could actually be a very healing, corrective experience to have. So while it isn’t wrong to have specific preferences when it comes to choosing a therapist, it can be helpful to consider the motivation behind why these preferences might exist.
Insurance vs. Out-of-Network Therapy
When thinking about your mental health care, it can be helpful to see therapy as an investment in yourself. It’s not uncommon for private practitioners to be “out of network” and not work with insurance directly. If you’re wanting to go directly through insurance, you can call your insurance’s phone number (usually listed on the back of your card) and get names of therapists that are in-network with your insurance. Unfortunately, this can limit your options when looking for a therapist, so it can be helpful to check your out of network benefits to see you if you’d get reimbursement while working with an out of network provider. This means that you’ll pay the full session fee upfront, and get reimbursed for a portion of therapy after meeting your OON deductible. Many insurance companies reimburse up to 60-80% of session costs, so it’s definitely worth checking! You can also use an HSA/FSA to pay for therapy sessions.
Some questions you’ll want to ask your insurance about OON mental health benefits:
Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? If so, what percentage will be reimbursed to me?
Am I able to use these benefits for telehealth?
What is my deductible for out-of-network coverage and has it been met?
What percentage will be reimbursed for a 45 minute psychotherapy session (CPT code 90834)?
How do I submit claims for reimbursement?
Schedule Consultations With Houston Therapists
Once you find a few therapists that might be a good fit for you, I recommend reaching out to them and requesting a 15 minute phone consultation (most therapists should offer this for free). This can help determine if you and this therapist will be a good fit working together, and you can also get a feel for what it is like to talk to them. During a consultation call, the therapist will likely ask for a brief outline of what you’re seeking support around, and will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you have about the process or their approach to therapy. As you speak with potential therapists, you might ask yourself: Do I feel comfortable talking to this person? Do I feel like I could potentially open up to them as my therapist? (like really open up - we talk about anything and everything in therapy!).
You can ask the therapist questions such as:
What is your approach in therapy?
What clients/population do you typically work with?
How do you imagine helping me?
How do you determine “success” in therapy?
How often will I need to attend therapy?
…and anything else that comes to mind. While a consultation call with a therapist can be helpful, it isn’t always necessary. You might find enough information on a therapist’s website to determine that they are the right fit for you, or find a referral through word of mouth and feel pretty confident that you’ll work well with them. In that case, you can typically go ahead and request an initial therapy appointment to get started.
Don’t Give Up on Finding a Houston Therapist
I know there can be a lot of effort, time, and energy that go into finding the right therapist. Therapist shopping can be draining, especially when you feel ready to just get started with the therapy process. If you come across a therapist who has a lot of what you’re looking for, but they don’t meet some non-negotiables of yours (whether that’s taking insurance, offering in-person therapy sessions, or hours that work for your schedule), you can always reach out to that therapist for referrals. As a therapist, my job is to help people get to where they need to go, even if that isn’t working with me. This is why I keep a long list of referral sources of therapists in Houston who either offer similar services as me, or therapy services that I don’t provide - like couples therapy, EMDR, in-person therapy, evening appointments, etc.
So if you’re having a hard time finding a therapist, it never hurts to reach out and ask for help for therapy referrals. Having clarity on your needs, expectations in therapy, and goals for therapy can be helpful for finding the best fit for you.
Online Therapy in Houston and anywhere in Texas
If you are looking for a Houston therapist, feel free to explore my website to see if we might be a good fit to work together. My approach is trauma-informed, person-centered, and grounded in humanistic and existential philosophy. I work with women and young professionals navigating anxiety, relationship struggles, and life transitions. I’d be happy to support you in your journey of creating a life you love.
