Therapy specialties include psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, problem specialties include anxiety, depression, hypnosis, mind-body health, sexual dysfunction;, and population specialties include children and adolescents, disablilities, aging, retirement issues. If you feel comfortable doing so, be sure to mention the specific issue bringing you to therapy when you speak to any of the sources mentioned below.

1. Often getting a recommendation from a friend or relative who has had a successful therapy is a good way to go. If that person's therapist is not available, he or she is likely to be able to recommend someone whose work they respect.
2. If you have mental health insurance, you may be limited to a certain pool of therapists. If possible, see if you can get a recommendation for someone on this list.
3. Contact your state psychological association. These groups often have a referral service and/or a "list serve" to announce specific referral requests. All state associations are called "your state "Psychological Association" and are usually listed in a telephone directory or on the internet. For example, The New York State Psychological Association can be found at http://www.nyspa.org/.
   

Using your health insurance benefits.

Using "out-of-network" benefits.
You may also be eligible for "out of network benefits," that is, your insurance company may reimburse for a therapist who is not in their network. Timothy's Law (Mental Health Parity) legislation recently passed by Congress, mandates that most insurance companies provide equal reimbursement for psychological and physical health conditions. This means that if they provide "out of network" benefits for medical doctors, they must do the same for mental health professionals.

Whether to use your mental health insurance benefits.
Even if you have mental health insurance benefits, it is worth considering whether or not to use them. In order to be reimbursed, all mental health professionals must provide both a diagnosis and some description of your psychological condition and progress. In order to justify the service as "medically necessary" this information can be quite detailed. If you can afford it, you can avoid this by paying a therapist privately and directly. Then, no information about you need be shared with insurance companies.

The problem of Phantom networks. Some insurance companies offer what
are called "phantom networks," that is, they have listings for mental health practitioners who, though listed, are not accepting new patients. The patient calls around but finds that it is impossible to actually get services despite a somewhat extensive list of names. This practice is under investigation and if you experience it, feel free to report your experience to your state insurance commission or to the insurance committee of your state psychological association.

 

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How to Find a Psychologist:
Once you have decided that you are ready to consult a psychologist, the next step is to find one who can work well with you. If you are looking for a particular type of therapy, if you are suffering from a particular type of psychological problem or if you want someone who specializes in your particular group, it is helpful to find a therapist known for working in that specialty.