Tool

What kind of therapist do I need?

Three questions that turn “I should probably see someone” into a search you can actually run — which is the step most people skip, and the reason the search goes badly.

Reviewed by Albert Wong, PhDClinical psychologistLast reviewed September 2026About this site

Question 1

What are you actually bringing?

Question 2

How long has this been going on?

Question 3

What can you sustain, monthly?

Be realistic rather than optimistic. Therapy that you stop after six weeks because of cost is worse than a cheaper option you can keep.

Why this step matters

The most common reason a therapist search fails in this city isn’t scarcity. It’s starting with “I should see someone” and searching a directory of four thousand people who all list everything.

Knowing what you’re looking for narrows that enormously, gets better responses to your enquiries, and makes consultation calls short and useful. The full order of operations is here.

The letters, briefly

PSY, LMFT, LCSW and LPCC all provide therapy and none of them prescribe. The license predicts outcome poorly; the specific training predicts it considerably better. The exceptions — testing, letters, medication — are here.

And if medication is part of what you need, that’s a separate search: do you need a psychiatrist.

Keep reading

48 guides on getting therapy in San Francisco, free and without an account. There is a directory here too — it is new, and growing.

More guides Browse therapists

General information, not clinical advice; the people described are composites, not real clients. Fees and insurance practices change — confirm anything about cost directly with the practice and your plan. Listings on this site are maintained by independent practices. If you are in immediate danger, call 911; the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text any time.