Tip #2 for Finding an Inclusive, Trans-Affirming Therapist: Don’t get distracted by the shiny things (Tip #2 of 7)
Original post published 11/15/23: 7 Tips for Finding an Inclusive, Trans-Affirming Therapist *UPDATE re: weekly planned posting. As you might be able to tell from the future Tips published on dates well into 2024, there was a bit of a ‘hitch’ in addyson’s plan. Appreciate your patience & understanding that sometimes we need to adjust our plans based on capacity and unexpected life circumstances.
Welcome to the 3rd installment of this series, *publishing weekly through the end of 2023. I've decided to keep this one fairly short (at least, in terms of 'addyson style'). Check out the original post from 11/15/23 with the overview of all 7 tips. Last week, we discussed Tip #1: Explore therapist sites with similar values. We’re on tip #2 of #7 today: Don’t get distracted by the shiny things.
Tip #2: Don’t get distracted by the shiny things.
Sometimes, a beautiful website is just a beautiful website.
The aesthetic of a fancy website or perfect writing style/grammar does not make a therapist a good match. What matters is how you experience their presence in the room together.
In the last few years of full-time private practice, I have learned A LOT about website design, marketing, search engine optimization (e.g., ranking on google), and business ownership.
Learning how to effectively market to the communities I love serving has been super helpful! But this stuff has been unbelievably challenging to navigate in moments.
Limitations of the Marketing Machine
The truth is, marketing & website design is not accessible, affordable, or neurodivergent-friendly for all providers.
For example:
For an affirming provider who is also neurodivergent and/or has a disability that impacts energy, focus, and capacity on a given day, having a consistent marketing practice may feel like a never-ending nightmare.
For a trans provider, it can be really scary to show up in searches for trans-affirming providers, given the current anti-trans climate and targeting of those providing healthcare.
For a provider who can barely make ends meet despite seeing more clients than they have capacity for, finding time to invest in marketing may have to wait until there is less financial scarcity.
The amount of work, time, and expense that goes into the process can seem like a luxury or far-off goal for some.
Searching for a provider on google provides an incomplete picture as well, because rankings are driven by factors that may have little to do with a therapist's skill.
For example:
Therapist match platforms create a powerhouse of SEO that may pull someone higher in rankings who isn't a good fit, while suppressing another provider who is.
And don't get me started about the ways in which one of these platforms in particular has a notable reputation of supporting stigmatizing content related to bodies, race, and gender.
Telehealth companies advertise their services on TV, podcasts, and social media without it being considered (unethical) self-promotion, because it focuses on the company rather than the individual provider.
If you hear/see advertisement about treatment costs that sound too good to be true, they are often too good to be true when you learn how their therapists are valued (or not).
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Search engines can be finicky. Try different variations of keywords & search phrases. For example: gender-affirming counseling, trans-friendly therapy, genderqueer psychologist, affirming gender therapy near me, trans affirming therapist in RI, etc.
Look for provider websites and profiles that call to you on a deeper level, AND reach out to a few that you would like to learn a little bit more about.
Filter your search as specifically as possible, and scroll past those first several pages on Google to find those who are deeper in the interwebs.
If you see something that stands out to you about a therapists profile, website, and/or marketing, let them know what it was that resonated for you.
Next time, we'll talk more about how you might connect within community spaces to tap into resources for therapy and other sources of support.
As I mentioned in the last post, Inclusive Therapists has an UNBELIEVABLE RESOURCE PAGE!
Next time, we'll discuss Tip #3:
Expand your search and find your people.
Stay tuned as we continue to expand on these tips.
7 Tips for Finding an Inclusive, Trans-Affirming Therapist Near You
Explore therapist match sites with similar values.
Don’t get distracted by the shiny things.
Expand your search and find your people.
It’s OK to be picky. Interview your therapist.
Does the provider ‘practice what they preach’?
Trust the process. Trust yourself.
Figure out your finances.
Check out previous posts from this Weekly Blog Series!
Footnotes & References
*There are some complicated dynamics around how Indian Matchmaking was initially launched, as well as comments by Sima Auntie throughout the show that perpetuate some stigmatizing messages.
Article referenced above | How to find an inclusive therapist: Tools for finding culturally-affirming care (Aug 2022)
