Questions to ask an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles

You start googling and looking through therapy directories in Los Angeles for a BIPOC therapist who specializes in anxiety, and you begin to realize there are MANY therapists and you do not know what to exactly look for or even what to ask. Los Angeles County is the definition of diversity, and yet that also means several options. You are trying to find someone you can be able to trust and be open to, right? So, you start to wonder, what are some questions to ask to see if a therapist will be the right fit for you?

Questions to ask an Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles

It can feel draining going through the process of trying to find a therapist. I have had my own share of an emotional rollercoaster in trying to find a therapist where I would lose motivation. I found for myself what helped was having experiences with some therapists to help figure out what I liked or did not like. That became tedious and months and years would pass before making another attempt to go through google and directories for a therapist.

Sharing what I have learned with my own personal journey in finding a therapist and being a therapist myself. I hope I can help you not lose the months and years like I did in your healing journey. Honestly, who has the time to add that stress on top of everything! You can use a couple of these questions below to guide you towards the direction of the right therapist for you, whether through private pay or insurance (you can always ask for a transfer!) . Trust me, we LOVE answering questions about our process and we want you as a client to feel like we are the right fit for you! No amount of questions feels like too much!

Question #1: How would you describe your therapy style in anxiety therapy?

This gives you an insight if they are direct/indirect, blunt, sarcastic, collaborative, or follow a strict protocol perhaps under an evidenced based practice like CBT. You would want to know this to see if any of these styles are comfortable for you. Frequency of sessions also can fall under here, which is vital if you are adamant on having sessions weekly or biweekly. For example, my therapy style is collaborative where the client feels they have a say in certain interventions and at times not following a strict agenda if they want to talk about something pressing that happened recently. I like to see my role as walking with you through this process; not ahead or behind.

Question #2: Do you have experience working with anxiety?

Although self explanatory, you would want to ask this to know the background and success the therapist has had with clients who have a similar identified problem as you. They can let you know of their professional and educational background as well. For example, I mention to clients my professional experiences and how long I have been doing therapy with people who come in for anxiety. Also, I add that I specialize working with people with anxiety around topics of boundaries, work stress, life transitions, and burn out.

Question #3: How do you help clients who come in for anxiety therapy?

This sounds general, but it helps you see if they have you do homework in between sessions, utilize worksheets, meditations, and/or follow an evidence based practice. This is an important detail to know in case any of these are not activities you see yourself doing. As well as getting more information as to what they focus on, for example, some therapists focus on inner child work, intersectional work, holistic work, changing negative thoughts, solution focused therapy, narrative therapy, and/or family systems. They can even explain to you what each of these entail. During a consult call I tell any prospective client that I work through an intersectional lens, but also explore how one’s past impacts their present sense of self and relationships with others around them. In addition, there is some Cognitive Behavioral Techniques I utilize in conjunction with therapy, but it is not strict.

Question #4: Do you work from a cultural sensitive/ LGBTQ+ affirmative/ intersectional/ religious/holistic lens with anxiety?

This can be a follow up question to the one above because if these aspects of your identity are crucial and imperative for you, then you want to know if the therapist aligns with you on these or other beliefs. Working through these lenses helps the therapy feel a lot more affirmative for a client and also lets you know if they have worked with a certain type of population. For myself, this is really important to share during consultation call because it reaches to prospective individuals who I could do great work with.

Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles

I hope these tips help you find the right therapist in Los Angeles for Anxiety Therapy. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call me at (323) 493-6644 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with anxiety, you can read more about how I can help here.

I wish you good vibes in finding the right therapist for you in your healing journey!

Ligia Orellana, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist