Choosing a psychiatrist can be a dauxnting task. Not only do you want to find someone qualified and experienced, but you also want to find a psychiatrist who is a good fit for you. Your psychiatrist will play an important role in your mental health treatment and there are many factors to consider when making your decision.
In this guide, we’ll look at why finding a psychiatrist can be difficult, how to find a good psychiatrist, tips on how to choose your psychiatrist, and signs that a psychiatrist is right for you.
Why is finding a psychiatrist so hard?
Many people struggle in the search for a psychiatrist. If this is your experience, you’re not alone.
Not only is it already difficult to find a mental health provider you feel comfortable with, but there’s also a national shortage of psychiatrists to contend with. On top of that, mental health issues are on the rise in the United States, creating even more demand for psychiatrists.
Beyond these issues, there are some additional factors that can make it hard to find a good psychiatrist, including:
- Finding the perfect fit: If you’re looking for a mental health professional with expertise in treating a specific mental illness, it can make your search more complicated and require more time.
- Considering different approaches: Some psychiatrists have different therapeutic approaches, including medication management or talk therapy. Finding a psychiatrist whose approach aligns with your needs can add an extra layer of complexity.
- Compatibility: Personal compatibility is another important factor when choosing a psychiatrist. The success of your treatment plan relies on a strong therapeutic relationship, and it can take awhile to decide if you feel comfortable around your psychiatrist.
- Trial & error: Sometimes, you won’t immediately know whether a psychiatrist is right for you. It can take a few sessions with different psychiatrists before you find one who’s suitable for your mental health concerns and requirements.
- Insurance coverage: Even when you do find the right psychiatrist, they may not always accept your specific insurance coverage. This can lead to out-of-pocket costs that can make mental health care treatment unaffordable for some people.
Finding the right psychiatrist for you can take some time, but we have some tips to make the process easier. Once you know where to look, and what to look out for, you’ll be better able to find someone who can provide you with the care and support you need.
How to find a good psychiatrist
If you’re ready to seek help but don’t know where to start, here are some starting points to help you find a good psychiatrist.
Ask your doctor for a referral
One of the easiest ways to look for a psychiatrist is to ask your primary care physician for a referral. They can provide you with a list of recommended mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, in your area, giving you a great starting point.
Your primary care provider will also be able to tell you which psychiatrists specialize in treating specific mental health conditions, ensuring you have access to the right kind of support for what you’re experiencing.
Ask your friends and family
Friends and family members can be a great resource for finding a good psychiatrist. They may have firsthand experience with some of the psychiatrists in your area and can recommend someone they’ve had a good experience with.
The good thing about asking friends and family for psychiatrist referrals is that they can provide you with insight into the psychiatrist’s personality, what to expect during appointments, and any other small details you wouldn’t get from a doctor. This can be especially helpful if you’re nervous about seeing a psychiatrist and want to know what to expect.
Check with your insurance
Your insurance provider is another great resource for finding psychiatrists and other mental health services. Some insurance websites will allow you to filter when searching for healthcare providers, for example, by choosing a specific gender, language, or location.
The good thing about using your insurance to find a psychiatrist is that you’ll have peace of mind knowing they accept your specific health insurance coverage and you won’t have to pay out of pocket. Once you have a list of psychiatrists who accept your insurance, you can further refine your selection by reading client reviews or checking their specialization.
Research online
Finally, you can always search online directories to find psychiatrists in your area. When looking online, consider any specific specializations or treatment approaches you may want your psychiatrist to have. It’s also worth reading client reviews and checking that they accept your insurance. Even if you cannot find many psychiatrists in your local area, you may be able to find a psychiatrist who accepts telehealth appointments over the internet.
Tips for finding a good psychiatrist for you
The above suggestions are all helpful ways to gather a list of potential psychiatrists, but how do you know if they’re a good fit for you? Below, we offer some helpful tips on finding the right psychiatrist for your specific needs.
Start by considering your priorities
Everyone has different needs when it comes to mental health services. Before you decide whether a psychiatrist is the right fit for you, it helps to identify your priorities and what you’re looking for in particular.
Some things to consider include:
- Are you looking for a psychiatrist who specializes in treating specific mental health disorders?
- Would you feel more comfortable speaking to a psychiatrist of the same gender or identity as yourself?
- Do you prefer in-person sessions or are you happy seeing your psychiatrist online?
- Are you looking for a particular type of treatment?
Once you understand your specific needs, priorities, and expectations, it’ll be easier to narrow down whether a psychiatrist is a good fit for you or not.
Consider the psychiatrist’s specialties
To begin narrowing down your list of psychiatrists, you’ll want to research each of them online and see how well they match your concerns and priorities. You can start by looking at their website or searching for client reviews online. This can give you a good idea of what they specialize in and how they’ve treated others in the past.
Many psychiatrists focus their services on specific areas to provide more targeted care for their patients, such as adolescent, adult, or geriatric psychiatry. Some psychiatrists will also have more experience in treating particular mental health conditions, including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Substance use and addiction.
If you’re looking for help with a specific concern, it may be worth seeking a psychiatrist who has experience working with that particular condition. If you cannot find anything online, be sure to reach out and ask them about their experience with those issues. Reaching out to them is also a good opportunity to assess whether you feel comfortable around them and whether they seem to be a good fit for you.
Do they provide telehealth?
Telehealth allows psychiatrists to prescribe medication and consult with patients remotely via phone call, messages, or video conference. It’s one of the most important aspects of modern psychiatry and ensures patients have access to the best possible care, even if they are too busy, live in rural or remote areas, or simply cannot leave their homes. Telehealth can also help reduce the cost of mental health treatment by eliminating the need to travel long distances for an appointment.
If telehealth is something you’re interested in, it should be a major factor in your search for a psychiatrist. Always ask if they provide telehealth appointments, and if they don’t, you may need to search elsewhere. The great thing about telehealth is that it allows you to widen your search and search for psychiatrists all over the country.
Think about communication styles
An important thing to consider when looking for a psychiatrist is their communication style. You want to feel comfortable communicating during your sessions, especially as it can take awhile to build an easy flowing relationship.
During your initial consultation or phone call with the psychiatrist, consider their communication style. Are you able to easily understand what they’re saying? Do you feel like they understand what you’re expressing? Do you feel heard? Some people prefer blunt, matter-of-fact communication styles while others prefer more subtle communication. These are all things to think about and can affect how comfortable you feel during your sessions.
If you don’t feel 100% comfortable at the very beginning, know that this is normal. However, do your best to consider whether you think this will improve in the future or if the psychiatrist’s communication style is simply not for you.
Create a list of questions to ask
Our final recommendation is to create a list of questions to ask each psychiatrist when going through your shortlist. Some examples of questions you can ask include:
- How many years have you been practicing?
- Where did you attend medical school?
- Do you have an area of expertise? If so, what is it?
- Do you have experience treating people with my condition successfully?
- What type of treatments do you offer for people with my condition?
- Do you offer telemedicine services?
- Is there a waiting list for appointments? If so, how long?
- Will you bill my insurance company, or will I pay you and be reimbursed?
All of these questions can help you better understand the process of working with that particular psychiatrist and whether they’re suitable for you. Asking these questions can also help you build rapport, get a good idea of their personality, and assess their communication style, all of which can then factor in your decision.
Be confident about your choice
Ultimately, the best way to choose a good psychiatrist for you is to make your decision with confidence. If you’re able to do that, you know you’re making a choice you’re comfortable with.
That said, try not to feel any pressure around this decision. Sometimes you simply won’t know whether a psychiatrist is right for you until after you’ve had a few sessions. If you realize they’re not a good fit after that, you can always switch to a new provider.
4 signs your psychiatrist is right for you
If you’re not sure how to know whether a psychiatrist is suitable for you, here are four signs they’re probably a good fit:
- You feel heard: The most important thing when working with a psychiatrist is that you feel heard. If your psychiatrist listens to you attentively, addresses and encourages you to share your concerns, and gives you a say in your treatment plan, then they’re likely a good fit.
- You don’t have to repeat yourself: It can feel frustrating to have to repeat information you provided in previous sessions. While it’s natural to repeat or reshare some details, if you’re having to do it often then it may contribute to feeling unheard. A good psychiatrist will value your time by remembering details from previous sessions and starting off your next session where you ended your last one.
- You feel validated: The last thing you want when seeking mental health treatment is to feel like your worries are being brushed off. It can feel vulnerable to share what you’re going through, and it’s essential that you feel validated and respected. If your psychiatrist validates your feelings and makes you feel comfortable expressing your vulnerability, then you’re in good hands.
- You have time to ask questions: Addressing everything that needs to be discussed in just a 30 or 60-minute session can be difficult, but you should never feel like your psychiatrist is impatiently trying to usher you out the door. Your psychiatrist should take the time to carefully answer any questions you ask and follow-up on things you didn’t have time to address during the session.
BestMind Behavioral Health can help
If you’re searching for psychiatric treatment, BestMind Behavioral Health is here for you. We offer affordable, best-in-class care with licensed psychiatrists who offer medication management and alternative therapies to treat Treatment-Resistant Depression, as well as ADHD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, and OCD.
We accept a variety of insurances, so you can get the care you need at an affordable cost. We also acknowledge that everyone comes to us with different needs, so we’ll always work with you to create a customized treatment plan that caters to your specific circumstances. To make it easy for you to get the care you need, we offer both telemedicine and in-person appointments at our clinics in Colorado and Oregon.
If you’re ready to get started on your road to recovery, reach out to BestMind Behavioral Health today.
