This exploratory phone call is an opportunity for you to say why you want to seek support from a therapist. You don’t need to go into detail, but you can say that you need support with dealing with a death, or your romantic relationship, or managing anger, etc.

There are a variety of therapeutic modalities counsellors and psychologists learn during their studies, with many choosing their preferred modality and focusing their practice on that. These can include cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, grief counselling, acceptance and commitment therapy, somatic bodywork, and more. Depending on the client’s goals and needs, the therapist should be able to choose the model that works best to support them.

COVID-19 changed a lot for medical and mental health practitioners, with one of those being the chance to offer Telehealth consults to their clients. This makes therapy more accessible than ever, with you able to do it from the comfort of your own home and within hours that suit you.

Once you know where your therapist practises, you can check when their next availability may be. Check with the therapist if they do evening sessions or weekend sessions, if that’s going to help you navigate around your professional schedule and family commitments.

Each therapist has different fees, depending on where they practise, what length of sessions they offer (standard is 50mins), whether it’s Telehealth or in-room, their experience, their specialties, and more. Knowing what your therapist’s fees are before you commit will help you to manage ongoing therapy and see results.

This question seems a little personal, though can be the best way to understand if your therapist practises what they preach. While this is a closed question (‘yes’ or ‘no’), you’ll be able to see that the therapist is committed to managing their own mental health – so they can be in the best place to support their clients.