How to Find a Psychotherapist in NJ
Choosing therapy takes courage.
We tell our clients this all the time and you should know it too.
If you’ve decided to take this step for your personal healing, then truly, we commend you for your bravery. It will be well worthwhile, we promise.
If you’re a resident of the NJ & NY surrounding areas and you’ve decided therapy is exactly what you need, well, we’re glad you’re here.
Don’t feel the need to rush through any decisions. Take as much time as you need.
Choosing a therapist deserves careful thought as you vet all your options (and there are many!).
So, to get your search going, we’re sharing some simple action you can take to get this ever-important process started, and become one step closer to receiving the safe support you’re looking for.
Decide on the Psychotherapist You Need
Spend any time on a quick Google search and you’ll find many different therapists of many different specialties.
So how do you know which one is exactly right for you? With so many out there well-versed in their respective fields, it can feel like a challenge to decipher which will best serve you, given your personal situation.
By no means should you self-diagnose. But this is a good time to make non judgemental and kind observations about what you’ve been going through.
Then see what therapies exist out there to help you with that.
Let’s take a closer look at some common practices:
Grief Counselor
There will come a point in life where you have the unfortunate experience of losing a family member or loved one.
Grief Counselors help you navigate how to cope and what life may look like on the other side of that loss. Grief isn’t just limited to physical loss. It can also be the loss of what a previous life was due to a life-altering circumstance (global pandemic, divorce, job loss, etc.).
A Grief Counselor will give you the space to appropriately mourn and heal in your own time.
Certified Trauma Therapist or EMDR Specialist
Trauma can take various forms and impact us in many ways. In fact, it could be that there is an underlying trauma you’ve faced that you are not aware of.
Certified Trauma therapists give you an individual knowledge of how to identify trauma while also giving you the tools to live with it by gentle means.
The Be Kind Counseling team has therapists who specialize in sexual trauma, as well as other traumatic events or situations.
While we aren’t EMDR Specialists, Amy at Mercy Medical Center is an incredible EMDR specialist we often partner with and refer to.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We don’t take any experiences lightly. We say this because many people keep issues like anxiety and depression to themselves for too long.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapists are great professionals for when you’re finding ways to safely manage mental health conditions such as anxiety, health, addictions, and more.
Overall, Keep This in Mind
Regardless of the professional you choose, be sure to find someone who has at least a master’s level of education or a doctorate — so they can bring both compassion and expertise to every session.
And finally, it helps to find a psychotherapy practice that offers all of or most of these therapies (like us 🙂).
Look Through Therapy Platforms & Ask for Referrals
Once you’ve decided which therapist or specialist you need — it’s time to start your search for one.
Searching Online
There are plenty of credible online platform directories that host therapists. Some that we recommend (and are on) include:
These online platforms give you access to hundreds of therapists with different specialities.
Simply type in your City or Zipcode and you’ll see a list of professionals in your area.
A profile will look something like this:
But when the online search becomes overwhelming …
Ask for Referrals
We mean this both in the medical and relational sense.
If you have a primary care doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, or OBGYN you often see — they may have a referral to a therapist they recommend.
You can also simply ask for referrals from friends and family. We often say that somebody at least know’s somebody who’s a therapist.
Loved ones can steer you in the right direction with professionals they know in their inner circle who would be honored to be in your corner.
Consider Telehealth vs. In-Person Options
As you’re conducting your search, you want to take note of which therapy practices offer Telehealth, in-person options, or both.
This will help you decide which practices offer options that suit you best.
If you haven’t heard of it already, you’re probably wondering …
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the option to receive health-related services remotely.
You receive the same support as you would at a clinical office, but in your own home or where you feel most comfortable.
During the pandemic, we believe Telehealth did an incredible job of making mental health care more accessible and convenient for a lot of people.
If you do decide to move forward with a practitioner via Telehealth, be sure you have access to a private area where you can discuss intimate matters.
Otherwise, your only other option would be …
In-Person Therapy
As the name suggests, these sessions are hosted in-person. And in general, any therapist (including us!) will strongly recommend in-person sessions if circumstances allow it.
By committing to meeting with an actual human on a weekly cadence, you’ll build trust with your therapist. They’ll take note of your mannerisms, body language, and personal cues and you can take note of theirs, too!
In-person sessions are also an ideal option if you don’t have the luxury of privacy and prefer to meet away from your home.
Here at Be Kind Counseling, we offer both so you can gauge which is best for your situation.
Schedule a Phone or Video Consultation to Make Sure it’s a Good Fit
There’s one more step to the process and by far, it’s the most important.
Even after deciding which care you need, carefully searching providers online, sifting through referrals from your support system, and considering Telehealth vs. in-person — you won’t know you’ve found your NJ psychotherapist until you talk to them, one-on-one.
It’s true: therapy is a safe space. It will also, however, require getting out of your comfort zone by openly describing thoughts, feelings, and emotions you may not have worked through before.
And when looking for a professional who will guide you through all that, identifying someone you can connect with is everything.
Before any consultation, come up with a list of questions or concerns. Therapists are more than happy to address any hesitation that comes with the process and make you feel comfortable — in fact, that’s our job.
You can start by asking questions like:
What is your availability?
What is your experience with dealing with situations like mine?
What are your professional credentials?
What evidence-based interventions do you use?
Do you accept insurance?”
Overall, you want to ask questions that cover both the logistics of what it looks like to meet together, and to feel comfortable that they will be there for you.
Your Resident Psychotherapist in NJ
It’s 100% normal to feel a little uncomfortable when you start this process. It’s difficult to even consider asking for help, much less follow through. And yet you’re here, bravely committing to reconnect with the you that’s been there all along.
The sooner you find a therapist who you know has your best interest in mind, the sooner you can identify real feelings and make change for the better. If you think we will be the right partner in supporting your mental health, you can book a 20-minute consult here.
