Can you interview a therapist before you pick them?
Yes, you can certainly interview a therapist, but it’s a little tricky. Here’s why.
The person is not your therapist at that point. An ethical therapist will not interview you, or want to hear about the specifics of your issues because that would constitute the collection of protected health information without any informed consent procedure, opening a case, creating a record, etc.
It’s easily handled. Ask the therapist absolutely anything you want. It’s up to them how to answer. Just don’t get too specific about your own issues, but ask general questions, like “What’s your experience in dealing with early sexual trauma? How do you think about it, and how do you tend to approach it clinically?” That’s a fair question for a therapist interview and doesn’t create a HIPAA or ethical issue.
Ask hypotheticals, too. “If you had a client who… (fill in the blank), how might you handle it?”
If you ask good, relevant questions, you’ll learn plenty and probably get a good feel for how it would be to work with this person.
There are plenty more stories and insights on how therapy works in Get the Most From Your Therapy, a friendly, practical guide to the experience.
