Navigating the 15-minute Therapy Consult

A free 15-minute phone consult is a common practice in the world of therapy. It’s an opportunity for you, the client, to assess if a therapist is the right fit for you without paying the emotional and financial cost of a full appointment. It’s also an opportunity for us, the therapist, to assess if we are the best choice for you and your needs.

It’s also a bit awkward.

I mean, it’s a 15-minute conversation with a stranger about the deepest stuff going on in your life. Where do you even begin?

Insert the following: a non-exhaustive list of questions you might ask your prospective therapist

• What experience do you have working with [x issue]?
  (Insert: anxiety, estranged parent/child relationships, sexual abuse, etc.)

• Do you have lived experience with [x issue]?
  (Note: The counsellor you are speaking to may decline to share. All therapists have different boundaries regarding self-disclosure)

• What is your experience with [x culture]?
  (Insert: ethnicity, race, sexual identity, gender identity, religion, age, demographic, etc.)

• What can I expect in an initial session? In subsequent sessions?

• Do you currently receive supervision from other therapists?

• Where and when did you graduate?

• What do you like about being a therapist?

• Do you receive therapy yourself?

• What has your experience of therapy been as a client? As a counsellor?

• Tell me about your approach?

  • More specific: Tell me about your approach when working with [x issue]?

• How would you describe your personality in the therapy context?

• What do you do for fun?

• What sort of personalities do you work well with?

• What is your cancellation policy?

• How do online appointments work?

• Where is your office located?