Initial Phone Consultation

Considering trying therapy for the first time? Or wanting to try therapy again with someone new? It can be daunting to take that first step. That’s why Health in Tandem offers free initial phone consultations prior to committing to our practice or one of our therapists. 

But what even is an initial phone consultation? Well, at Health in Tandem, it is a 10-20 minute long phone call between you (the potential client) and one of us (a therapist) in order to gather more information and determine if we are a good therapeutic fit for one another.

Truly, these phone consultations are not dissimilar from a job interview. You are, in fact, hiring us to do a service for you! With that being said, we want to make sure that we actually are a good fit and that our background, knowledge, and approach works for what you need and want.

Still wondering what questions might be helpful? Consider these!

Logistical Questions:

-What days and times do you currently have available for sessions?

-What insurance plans do you accept?

-What is your cancellation policy?

-How do you accept session payments?

-Are you able to verify my health insurance benefits for me?

-Do you partner with other health professionals? Or could you consult with some of my other healthcare providers if need be?

Clinical Questions:

-What populations/clinical concerns do you typically work with and why?

-Do you have experience working with _________?
-What is your therapeutic orientation? Or how do you approach working with clients?

-What is the typical frequency and duration of treatment?

-What does a typical session look like?

-What do interactions between sessions look like?

You also might want to be prepared for some of these questions that we might ask of you:

-What’s bringing you into therapy at this time?

-Is this your first time in therapy or have you been to therapy before?
-What has worked for you in the past and what hasn’t?

-What are you looking for in a therapist?

-Are you speaking with other therapists at this time or would you like to go ahead and set up an intake session?

If you like what you hear and feel like the therapist is a good fit, feel free to end the call by asking about next steps. That being said, we offer these phone consultations because we truly want you to feel like you’re making a good choice, so if you’re not ready to commit, or feeling like it’s a good fit, consider these statements:

“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I would like some time to think over everything we discussed and will let you know if I decide to schedule a session with you”

“I’m grateful to you for answering all of my questions. At this time, I am going to pursue other options, however I will reach back out if anything changes.”

While not every practice or therapist offers free initial phone consultations, many of us do. So if you’re not sure, why not just ask? The worst that can happen is they say no! 

And that being said, if you’re curious about working with someone on our team, go ahead and fill out an inquiry on the contact form and ask to set up an initial phone consultation. We’d be happy to chat with you further!