What to Ask During a Consultation

What Questions Could I Ask?

During the consultation you’ll want to consider whether you’re comfortable with the therapist and will able to open up to them fully and authentically. We’ve created a list of questions to help with figuring this out!

Of course you won’t have time during the consultation to ask each and every one of the questions below! There are likely questions you’ll also come up with that are specific to your lived experiences or what you’re looking for in a therapist. Select questions from the list that feel most important to you and bring other questions to the consultation that may help you with deciphering whether you’ll be able to be transparent and vulnerable with them during your sessions.

Some of these questions may also already be included in the therapist’s online bio. Research the therapists you’re interested in working with first, to see if you can find this information before bringing it up during your brief call.

• Where did you go to school and what did you study?
• How long have you been in private practice?
• Do you specialize in my presenting issues, and how so?
• Have you supported others like myself, and if so, what was the general outcome in those cases?
• What kind of treatment would you consider using?
• How important will it be for you to know about my past, my family of origin, my relationships?
• Who will be talking more, you or me?
• How will you use power in our sessions, that is, do you see yourself as the expert or are we co-collaborators?
• How would you describe your therapeutic style?
• Will you provide me with homework or assignments?
• Have you personally experienced the challenges I am facing, and how do you believe that will impact our sessions?
• Given my goals for therapy, how often should I plan to see you and when do you believe I will reach my goals?
• How much will each session cost, when is payment due, and what will happen if I miss or forget to pay?
• Are your credentials covered by my extended health insurance provider, and if so, do you offer direct billing?
• What is your cancellation policy, and what are the steps to rescheduling?
• How will I know if we are making progress in my treatment?
• Do you feel as though I could be a good fit?
• Is there any reason you feel I should consider finding another therapist and if so, could you provide me with a few referrals to reach out to?

It’s important to keep in mind that most of the health profession is predominantly made up of people who experience the most privilege, or advantages in society. If you’re someone who experiences discrimination based on race, Indigeneity, gender, sexuality, disability, neurodiversity, or any other aspect of your identity,  you’ll want to ask questions to understand whether the therapist will be knowledgeable and sensitive to your unique needs. For example:

• Have you worked with someone like me before/what are your experiences with my identity and/or culture?
• What ongoing work have you done to learn more about my identity/cultural experiences?
• Are you currently aware of the political events and the issues that I face?
• Do you consider your practice to be trauma-informed and anti-oppressive, how so?
• Would you feel comfortable with me discussing the oppressions and discrimination I have experienced by those who you may identify or associate with?
• Do you receive a consultation from a supervisor or other therapists who identify similarly to myself or share my cultural experiences, and if not, why is that?

How do I know if a Therapist is a Good Fit?

Therapeutic fit is really important. Research has shown that a positive rapport between the therapist and client leads to greater treatment success and positive outcomes for the client.

If this is your first time seeking out therapy, try booking a free consultation with multiple therapists that way you can really compare and contrast who is going to be the best fit for you. When searching for a therapist, it may help to make a shortlist of your top 3. Select those who you feel could be the most supportive, given the reason you are seeking therapy.

During and after your consultation, you’ll want to reflect on how the meeting went. Check in with yourself to make sure that you actually want to move forward with this therapist. Here are some more questions to reflect on, to help with the decision-making process.

• Will I feel relatively safe with being vulnerable and authentic with this therapist?
• Will I be able to build a foundation of trust this therapist?
• Do I feel comfortable with their body language and communication style?
• Were there moments where I felt seen, heard, or understood?
• Was this therapist able to share their thoughts clearly/was I able to understand them and were they understanding me?
• Would I like to continue talking to them?
• Do I feel engaged talking to them?
• Does this therapist seem like could be my ally or a teammate?
• Will they be able to fit me into their schedule and does this align with my own timelines for achieving my goals?
• Is it easy to book and reschedule appointments or pay for my sessions with them?

If you answered “no” to most of these questions, or if you’re gut/intuition are telling you that something is off, then continue to hold consultations with other therapists. However, if you keep feeling uncomfortable, even after speaking with multiple therapists, then there may be more to check in on. Therapy, in general, can bring up nervousness or anxiety, especially if you have never seen a therapist before. It’s important to identify this feeling and acknowledge that it may not go away for at least the first 3 sessions until you develop a rapport with a therapist.

What Next?

Sometimes, the therapist that we really want to work with is very much sought after and will have a waitlist for new clients. When meeting during the consultation, ask the therapist how long they estimate before you will be able to meet. Given the estimation, you’ll be able to determine whether you would like to be added to their waitlist for when an appointment becomes available. If you decide that you need more immediate support, you may request referrals to other local therapists who may or may not have more immediate availability. Otherwise, if you decide to take a seat on the waitlist, just remember that there is no guarantee that a spot with this therapist will become available within that time period. It’s not always known as to how long it could take for the therapist and their current clients to complete their work together.

Once you have found the therapist you would like to work with and they do have availability to see you, the next step is to book your first three to four sessions. Booking multiple sessions at one time is often recommended during times when schedules are getting full. Most therapists really want to ensure that you’re able seeing them whenever it works best for your schedule and your needs – why not book a block of appointments at once and then cancel and/or reschedule them (as per the cancellation policy!), as needed.

The last things you may be asked to do before you have your first session will be to review any important documents prior to your scheduled appointment time. You may be requested to review the therapist’s General Treatment Contract, to complete a more in-depth intake form or assessment,  or to review instructions for Remote Psychotherapy. Reviewing these before the session will ensure that you are informed and have an idea of what to expect in your sessions! This kind of preparation may also save you some administrative time during the first session.

At Bliss Counselling + Psychotherapy, providing tailored services is our specialty! Regardless of the challenges you are facing, our therapists will use a variety of psychotherapy and counselling approaches to ensure you receive the support you need.

If you need some extra support with shortlisting therapists or are interested in booking a consultation with any one of our Bliss therapists give us a call: 226-647-6000.

Our Client Service Team will be happy to narrow down the options and to support you in finding a therapist who could be the best fit!