Like others, I had a hard time finding a therapist to deal with my anxiety. My 6 month search added more stress to my life — I didn’t know where to go or what t

Like others, I had a hard time finding a therapist to deal with my anxiety. My 6 month search added more stress to my life — I didn’t know where to go or what to look for. My frustration led me to talk to 200+ clients and therapists to learn more about how this should work. I ultimately started a company to solve this exact issue using my research (www.joinreflect.com). Lots of great comments already, so I’ll just add a few things I learned if helpful: 1. According to the research, the biggest predictor of success in therapy is fit (who you “click” with). There’s no right therapist for everyone. I suggest first thinking about why you’re looking and what style of work you might be interested in (e.g., do you want to talk through issues or find a solution/change behavior?) 2. Definitely review profiles/websites and see what the specific clinician has experience with 3. Orientation is a helpful filter to predict style, but it’s not nearly as rigid as you may think. In reality, many therapists say they’re “client centered” and can flow between orientations (e.g., CBT vs. psychodynamic). Some specialities are more evidence-based than others (in academic setting), but again, fit is most important 4. There’s little practical difference between degree type if you’re looking for talk therapy (MDs can prescribe medicine, doctorate level can do assessments, associates are under supervision of a licensed clinician) 5. Many therapists offer free 15 min calls to try, so def take advantage of those (2-3 usually works if you have a targeted list). In the calls, ask specifically how the therapist might work with you to treat the issue(s) and see if the style matches what you feel comfortable with. Note, you might have to call a bunch to even get 2-3 on the phone, especially if you want to use insurance as many providers are full Figuring out #1 can be hard. I started reflect (www.joinreflect.com) to use my research to help others. reflect is live in the Bay Area, so check us out if you’re here. We match you with therapists well suited to your needs based on an algorithm I developed, and you can try each for free. 90% of those who do find a therapist they like, and we have the largest self-pay network of therapists in the Bay Area with ~300 clinicians and growing. In-person sessions are $95, and you can use out-of-network insurance and HSA/FSA. Even if you’re not in the Bay, feel free to email hello@joinreflect.com. I’m the founder, so either I or someone on my team will get back to you ASAP. We’d love to help any way we can. Good luck!