SEEKING HELP FROM A PSYCHOLOGIST

At IABPsi we’re often asked for referrals to Black therapists, and we’re glad to help. The right match depends on details, though: does the practitioner see children, specialize in trauma or depression, or accept your insurance? None of us can keep that much about every practitioner in our heads, so we find it more practical to show you how to choose. Psychology Today’s online therapist directory is a helpful place to start. You can search it by race, gender, specialty (such as trauma, children and families, or Black adults), sexual orientation, and background experience. Our guidelines for using it are below.

Psychology Today

When is the right time for therapy or counseling?

The right time to begin therapy or counseling is when you feel the need to cope better with past or current life circumstances. You may recognize that you have used good coping skills in the past but, for a host of reasons not always fully understood, you want to be more consistent in using them. You may also need to develop new skills. You might find you want not only to feel better, but also to be better overall. These needs can also be extended to your loved ones.

It’s not always an easy step for people to begin therapy. We advise that you begin with the simplest of steps, talking to someone who has experienced therapy or, if you prefer to be more private, going to the Psychology Today site and selecting a few potential therapists. A next step could be reading more about the different therapy approaches, and yet another step is to begin making phone calls to ask questions. Below, we offer some suggestions on the kinds of questions you can ask.

The ABCs of selecting a therapist

Filter first. Using the link above start with filters like city, race, and gender, for example a male therapist who identifies as Black/African American in Indianapolis. Then narrow by credentials, discipline (psychologist, licensed mental health counselor), specialization, and years of experience. At IABPsi we lean toward doctoral-level psychologists with the HSPP (Health Service Provider in Psychology) designation, but we know exceptional practitioners come from many mental health disciplines.

Read carefully. The real work is reading each profile closely. Build a list of about five therapists who fit your needs, and ask whether their descriptions resonate with you. Some also post a short video about their specializations.

Look for these signals.

  • Client Focus: Black/African American. This shows a commitment to working with Black people.

  • Communities: Racial Justice Allied (or LGBT-Allied). These show a commitment to social action, and we support practitioners who list them.

  • Treatment Approaches. This is how a therapist views problems and works to resolve them. Common options are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), both explained on the site. Because culture, race, gender, and social class shape our lives, we strongly urge you to choose therapists who also list “Culturally Sensitive Therapy.”

Questions to ask prior deciding on a therapist

One of the biggest challenges to selecting an exceptional therapist is that once you are comfortable with your filters, you may live in a community where there is no one who meets your most important parameters. For this reason, we strongly advise that you gather the best matches and then interview the therapists on your list.

A short list of about 3–5 people is a suitable task for anyone seeking a therapist. Here are questions you may include in your interview:

  • My particular problem is ____________ (you can begin by sharing how you’ve been feeling and how you’ve been able to cope with your problems thus far). Could you give me a general idea of how you would go about helping me overcome it/them? You’re getting a general feel for how “connected” you feel with the therapist and the therapy.

  • Is your approach to therapy deemed appropriate for Black people based on research/theoretical literature? Exceptional therapists keep track of research and should be able to articulate a response in a satisfactory, coherent manner.

  • Do you take into account how people’s life experiences based on culture, race, gender, and so forth influences problems as well as positive coping? Exceptional therapist appreciate the “whole” quality of human experience.

  • How would you know when it’s time to end therapy? Some therapists will have firm measures to determine when the therapy should end. For example, they may ask that you keep track of certain behaviors you want to change and so that both you and the therapist can chart progress or slip-ups. Others may take an approach of determining when the therapy should end based on your report of how you feel, how you believe your relationships are progressing, how well you’ve been able to comply with your prescription regimen, and so forth.