Life can put you through extraordinarily tough times, and sometimes it might feel like nothing in your life is going your way.
That’s why it’s important to have someone to talk to who understands your situation and cares about your mental health. Friends, family, and pets can be great therapy, but sometimes the best option is professional therapy.
In San Diego, there are many therapists to choose from, but not all of them may be suitable for your needs.
Read on to discover choosing a therapist in San Diego for you.
Finding the Perfect Match
Maybe your friends or family members suggested to you a local therapist who did wonders for them and their mental health, but they didn’t work for you.
This might come as a surprise, especially if they had high online ratings and raving testimonials.
If you didn’t connect with them, it wasn’t your fault, and it might not have been their fault either. There’s a good chance you simply didn’t have chemistry.
When you click with your therapist, this is often referred to as The Therapeutic Alliance. This term is commonly understood as being the bond a therapist and their patient have. This connection is strong and often long-lasting.
When you click with your therapist, you are more likely to open up to them. If you open up to them and become honest and sincere about your mental state, the therapy has a better chance of success.
Facilitating the Therapeutic Alliance
To determine if you and your therapist will get along, consider these elements:
- The therapist has a genuine interest in your recovery
- Gives you their undivided attention
- No judgment
- The therapist has a background in helping similar patients to you
- You feel comfortable telling the therapist about your problems
- Conversations will be purely confidential
- You and the therapist share the same goals
A strong bond between you and your therapist may not necessarily form as soon as you meet them. Be patient and give yourselves some time to get to know each other.
Use Your Health Insurance for choosing a therapist in San Diego
Your health insurance probably won’t cover the full costs of therapy, but therapy services in San Diego shouldn’t have to cost you a fortune either.
You can check with your insurance provider by visiting their website or giving them a call. You’ll want to look for:
- How much your insurance company pays for therapy sessions
- How many sessions it is willing to cover
- If there’s a search tool in its database (find an in-network list of therapists)
If you can find a therapist on your company’s database, congrats. You’ve found your lowest cost option for therapy.
Your insurance company will cover the costs of your visits with this therapist. These visits will probably charge a $15-$50 copay depending upon the location in San Diego and the services they provide.
Always make sure to keep up-to-date with all therapist services in San Diego. Double-check by visiting this therapist’s website or call to see if they still accept insurance from your provider.
If you can’t find an in-network therapist in your area, there are alternative low-cost options to choose from.
Out-of-Network Benefits
San Diego not only has a high average cost of living, but therapy sessions can be quite costly, too.
On average, a mental health center in San Diego will charge $135-$165 for each session, but your insurance card’s out-of-network benefits may cover a percentage of the cost of each session.
Sliding Scale Fees
The cost of therapy in San Diego isn’t always fixed. Many therapists will work something out with their clients who may have trouble affording the standard costs of their services.
Be sure to let your therapist know about your financial situation. They may adjust their fees to fit your ability to pay.
You probably won’t knock their fees down to the $15-$50 copay of most in-network therapists, but you may turn $165 visits into $100 visits just by asking them about their alternative pricing options.
The Location of the Therapist in San Diego Matters
You might find the most affordable, kind, and easygoing therapist with whom you click perfectly. But, if they’re too far away, you might have to look somewhere else.
San Diego is a big city. Some common problems you may run into if you don’t do your research include:
- Their office may be on the opposite end of the city from you
- The parking in downtown San Diego can be tough
To mitigate difficulties as far as location is concerned, consider finding a mental health center that is in a less congested area in San Diego. Check your city map to see if it is reachable by public transit, too.
Aligning Your Schedules
Does the therapist’s appointment schedule align with yours? Are they super busy with other clients? Are they unable to provide you the length of time for each appointment that you desire?
Be sure to keep these factors in mind before coming to any final decisions.
The therapist may be a perfect fit for you in other ways, but they may not be able to provide you the proper care you need if neither of you can dedicate a comfortable pocket of time for each session.
Would You Like to Know More?
Finding the perfect therapist in San Diego for you may seem like a daunting task at first, but all of the efforts will be worth it once the puzzle fits and you find a therapist you click with.
If you found this article helpful and you’d like to know more about finding the right therapist for you, be sure to check out our About Us page.
The Mental Health Center of San Diego offers the highest standard of care to all patients. We understand that every person experiencing mental health issues is not the same and deserves individualized treatment. Reach out to us if you’re ready to take the first step.
