How to Find a Clinical Psychologist

A psychologist is a trained mental health professional who may be able to provide services such as evaluation for mental disorders, therapy and counseling, or other consulting and advice for how to handle matters of a psychological nature. Clinical psychologists specialize in diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders by using non-medical methods. The following are some suggestions for how to find a clinical psychologist in your area.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Check with your health insurance company. If mental health services are included in your insurance plan, your insurance company should be able to provide you a list of providers who are covered by your plan. Note that your plan may only cover a limited number of visits to a mental health provider and may only cover treatment for some conditions.

2. Look in the phone book under psychologists, counseling or mental health. Local psychologists frequently advertise in the phone book, and the phone book may also contain some information about the psychologist's specialization.

3. Ask friends, coworkers or relatives for recommendations of psychologists they have past experience with. Word of mouth is often the best way to find a good practitioner (and know which practitioners to avoid).

4. Search the Internet with keywords of "clinical psychologist" and your town name. You may locate websites set up by local psychologists to advertise their practices, and these websites may contain information on the psychologist's area of practice as well as how to go about setting up an appointment.

5. Check with the American Psychological Association for a list of members in your area. This can be one of the easiest ways to find a clinical psychologist with a particular specialty, such as neuropsychology or marriage and family therapy.

6. Speak with someone at a local support group for the particular concern you wish to discuss with a clinical psychologist, and see if you are able to get a recommendation. For example, if you are looking for assistance in dealing with a child with ADHD, finding a local support group for parenting kids with ADHD may be a good way to find recommendations for psychologists in your area who can help with that condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Clinical psychologists are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication; if you believe you may need medication to treat your mental health disorder, speak to a psychiatrist. Remember that clinical psychologists often tend to specialize in a particular area of practice, such as treating drug addition or evaluating children with developmental disorders, and you may need to search for a psychologist who covers your particular area of concern.

Resources

• APA Psychologist Locator

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on 11/7/2009 You may want to check out a therapist matching website like: http://www.mytherapistmatch.com to help find a compatible therapist.