Questions to ask an outpatient therapist

Finding the right care team and care setting can be daunting because many factors usually go into a decision about where to go for treatment. The questions to ask range from practical questions about costs, insurance, and availability to take on new patients, as well as to experience and types of treatment offerings. This list will help guide you through the maze of questions that are important to ask. Be sure to take notes or record responses to refer to at a later time as needed.

• What insurance do you accept?
• Do you deal directly with the insurer, or does the family/patient need to do that?
• What degree, certification, and license do you hold?
• What training do you have that is specific to treating bulimia nervosa?
• How many cases have you treated? Over what period of time?
• Do you belong to the Academy for Eating Disorders or any other professional medical organizations relevant to eating disorders?
• Are there any clinical practice guidelines you use to guide treatment?
• What is your availability in an emergency? If you are not available, what are my alternatives?
• Do you involve key family members or friends? In what way?
• What psychotherapeutic approaches and tools do you use?
• How do you decide which approach is best for the patient?
• How do you work with the patient’s other care providers, such as medical doctors?
• Will medication play a role in treatment?
• Do you work with a psychopharmacologist when advising medication?
• How do you treat coexisting mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder?
• What are your criteria for determining whether a patient needs to be hospitalized?
• What happens in counseling sessions?
• Do you recommend group counseling? Who all is involved in counseling?
• How many counseling sessions will there be and how often?
• How long does each counseling session last?
• What specific goals will be set for treatment?
• How do you know when recovery is happening and therapy can stop?
• Do you charge for phone calls, texts, or e-mails from patients or family between sessions? If so, what do you charge, and how and to whom (insurance company or patient) is that billed?