Where Can I Find A Couples Therapist Near Me?
Updated November 18, 2019
Reviewer Nicole Gaines, LPC
Couples Therapists: Where Are They?
Finding a couples therapist isn't necessarily a piece of cake. It can be challenging to locate a therapist in your area, and you may be asking yourself "where can I find a therapist near me?" Whether you're looking for an individual therapist, a couples therapist or a marriage and family therapist sometimes it's not so straightforward to find the person you're looking for, and you are not alone. Many people struggle with the same issue. You would think it would be effortless to find a therapist.
There are numerous people with Ph.D.'s, MSW's MA's and PsyDsand then that doesn't even include the different types of licenses and certifications. But it can be hard to find a therapist that practices the kind of treatment you're looking for and particularly one who's in your area.
One thing that you can do if you have insurance is to search through your insurance provider's listings of therapists and see which ones are in your area. It's likely that you'll find a lot of individual therapists, but when it comes to couples therapists, it's more challenging to find these providers. You may find some people that see couples, but then another issue arises: you need to find a couples therapist that both you and your partner feel comfortable talking to because you will be seeing that person once a week or every other week, typically.
Source: peterson.af.mil
What to look for in a therapist
Trying to find the right therapist isn't the same as trying to find a general physician or another type of doctor. They all tend to specialize in certain areas, so you know what you are getting when you are searching. However, there are many different people that are able to call themselves a therapist. You can see a psychologist, psychotherapist, counselor, social worker, coach, or religious leader. All of these people might be offering some form of "therapy".
This is why it's important to look for someone that specializes in couples therapy. Just because someone is a licensed therapist doesn't mean that they have the same experience as others. For example, if there is a therapist that focuses on working with patients that have personality disorders and you go to see them for help with your relationship, it's not going to be the best fit. They may know many of the strategies that can be used for therapy, but it's not the area they are really focused on.
You want to work with a therapist that is focused on relationships. This means they will be investing their time and learning into the area that you are seeking help for. Some therapist are even certified in family and marriage counseling. These are the types of therapists that you will want to find.
Can We All Just Get Along?
When you're in individual therapy, you get to decide as to whether you like your provider or not. There is nobody else that gets to determine which therapist you see. When you're going to couples therapy, it's a different story. You might find a couples therapist near where you live, and you like that provider a lot. They take your insurance, and you're excited to work with that person. Everything seems excellent, but then you and your partner meet with the couples therapist, and your partner decides they don't like that person.
What do you do now? Everything was going along so well you were hustling to find a therapist near you. And now your partner doesn't like that person. It seems like there's always something challenging when it comes to getting mental health treatment. It's vital that both you and your partner feel comfortable with the couples therapist because if one of you doesn't like that person, then the experience is not going to be a productive one.
Both of you must feel like the couples therapist is objective and is not taking sides. Both people in the couple need to trust the couple's therapist who is treating them. If one of the members of the couple feels like there's a personal bias toward them from their provider, then the therapy sessions won't help the couple heal, and now you're back to square one trying to find "a therapist near me."
Now, if you have found many different therapists to work with and your partner has found a problem with all of them, it could be that they are just being resistant to attending therapy. If you believe this is the case ask them about it. If they deny, then allow them to take control of finding a therapist and see what they come up with. And now you're back to square one trying to find "a therapist near me."
Referrals
Sometimes it's not necessarily to see a therapist who is close to where you love. It's more about the quality of the provider. You might consider asking people you know who they see for therapy. That way you can get a referral.
You might not want to see the same therapist as a friend. You can ask that therapist to recommend another provider who they think is excellent. It's always good to get a referral when you're looking for a healthcare provider; you want to make sure that you're seeing someone who provides quality care.
It's better to do this then go in blind and randomly choose a provider off of your insurance company's listings. It's not the worst idea to select a provider from the insurance company's website, but if you can get a personal reference, then you know that the provider you're going to see is someone among the best. It's ideal to get recommendations if you can.
But what if you live somewhere that isn't densely populated? It's much harder to find a couples therapist if you live in a rural area where there aren't many mental health providers. That's when you run into trouble finding an adequate couples therapist.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Remote Areas
It can be troublesome to find a therapist in your local area if you live in a place that doesn't have a large population. Add in the fact that you're a couple seeking therapy for the two of you it could be even more challenging. There may be a limited amount of providers, and those that are practicing therapy might know everybody in your town. So you don't necessarily want your business spread around town, and that can be a challenge if you're living somewhere with a small population.
So what do you do? What are your options? You could see a therapist that knows your cousin or your uncle or your brother or friends of yours. That's not necessarily the best idea if you want to maintain your privacy.
You could drive to the city that has a more extensive selection of mental health providers. But maybe that's not convenient for you. It's a long haul for you and your partner to drive an hour away to see a couples therapists and an hour back. We all lead busy lives and factoring in a two-hour drive once a week isn't entirely realistic and frankly sounds exhausting to see a couples therapist. It might even put more strain on your relationship. Another option is seeing an online couples therapist.
Online Couples Therapy
As a couple, you want to get the most helpful treatment in couples therapy. But if you can't find a local therapist, you could consider seeing an online couples counselor. There may not be a therapist near you that can provide couples counseling, and that's OK because online counseling for couples is a great alternative.
When you're having trouble finding a therapist in your local area because you live in a remote place or maybe the kind of therapy that you're looking for there aren't a lot of providers consider trying online therapy.
Online therapy is a convenient alternative to seeing a therapist in the office. You will find that sessions tend to be more intimate at times than in-person therapy. You can meet with your therapist in the privacy of your home, office or even a coffee shop if you're more comfortable there. There are issues that you may discuss with a couples counselor that are sensitive topics. That's why a meeting in a place where you feel safe and secure is essential. It's necessary to feel comfortable when you're discussing private information about you and your partner.
Source: pixabay.com
When is the right time to go to couples therapy?
As you research on how to find the right couples therapist, you may also be wondering if it's even the right time to go to therapy. Any time is the right time to go if you have questions, problems, or feel that something like communication, could be improved.
Some couples think they need to wait to go to therapy until they are on the brink of separating, but that's not true. The sooner you are able to get in to see a therapist, the sooner you can start to see the improvement in your relationship that you're looking for. Don't wait until it's too late. The sooner you go, the less things that you can have to work through.
And remember, if your partner is unwilling to give couples therapy a try, you can still benefit from going to therapy on your own. Your therapist can help you learning important skills to use to improve your relationship.
Try Online Couples Counseling at Regain
Online couples therapy can be an excellent way for you and your partner to work out problems between you. We all live busy lives, and online treatment is exceptionally convenient and can be accessed anywhere there is a reliable Internet connection.
You can talk with your counselor via video chat, messaging, or phone. It's up to you what works best for you and your partner as well as your counselor if you're thinking about trying online therapy search through the counselors at Regain.us and find one who is best for you and your partner.
