How to find a good psychotherapist
You might find yourself wondering “Where do I find a good therapist?” or “How do I find a good therapist?” Most people look for a psychotherapist by contacting their family doctor, asking a friend/family member for a recommendation, or by googling “therapist near me.”
When searching online for a psychotherapist, it can seem like the options are endless; with the shift to online therapy, you can now work with any therapist in your province. For Ontario residents, this means you can be living in Ottawa and working with a psychotherapist in Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor, etc. With far more options than ever before, it can be hard to know where to find a good therapist, so we’ve put together some recommendations to help.
Where do I find a Good Therapist?
You can find a good therapist online by searching Psychology Today ; it’s one of the largest databases of therapists, including psychologists, social workers, and registered psychotherapists.
You can also find a good psychotherapist by contacting group practices. These are private therapy clinics with multiple psychotherapists working there, at least one of which is likely to be a good fit for you . The practice’s admin or intake team should be able to recommend someone to you based on your specific needs.
Some group practices in Ontario that offer therapy are listed below.
Ontario-Wide Psychology Clinic , an online practice providing services to all of Ontario
Paragon Psychology , based in Windsor, ON
Connections Psychology , based in Ottawa, ON
Hamilton Psychological Services, based in Hamilton, ON
Fairmarc Psychology Centre, based in Toronto, ON
The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation , based in Midland, ON
“I know where to find a therapist, but how do I find a GOOD therapist?”
In Ontario, psychologists are not permitted to seek testimonials, which is why it’s hard to find reviews or ratings online.
When looking for a good therapist, you want to look for 3 things: (1) a therapist you can connect with, (2) a therapist who has training/experience working with issues similar to those you are facing (e.g., anxiety, depression, OCD), and (3) a therapist who is registered with a regulatory body in Ontario. In Ontario, anyone can call themselves a “therapist”, so you want to look for a psychologist, social worker, or registered psychotherapist specifically.
To figure out if a psychotherapist has the training/experience to best meet your needs you can read their bios (click here for an example).
On their bio, you want to see if they mention some of the challenges you’re facing and also that they have training in some of the types of therapy that research has been found to be effective; we call these “evidence-based practices” or “evidence-based therapies.”
For example, if you’re seeking help for anxiety, you might want a psychotherapist who is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). If you’re struggling with OCD, you would want a therapist who is familiar with ACT or Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP).
To figure out if you’ll ‘click’ with the psychotherapist and get along, you can try to get a free phone consult before starting; most therapists offer this.