Finding a therapist, counselor, or psychologist in San Diego

By Abigail Weissman, Waves, A Psychological Corporation

San Diego, California is a great place to live; after all, some say that it is the (US of) America’s Finest City. I am a big fan of living here with so much to explore and enjoy and I love all of our sunshine! That said, there is stress that comes with living life and getting some support for what is troubling you can help you feel more at ease. If you are looking for a psychologist, therapist, or counselor, I would love to help you find someone who can be of assistance.

I want to help you find a therapist in San Diego.

Here are some tips to find a counselor:

1)    Check out some directories.

Psychology Today 

I like that this directory often has a lot of providers for each area. I don’t like that therapists can put in zip codes which are nowhere near where their office(s) are but are where they want to pull clients from. Knowing this can help you to not be too frustrated when the therapist who looks like they “matched” to your zip code search is actually several tens of miles away. Also, there is some controversy around Psychology Today as its magazine (that is different from the search engine but part of the same company) has problematic images on its covers, such as a lot of white thin people and not too many other people. Plus, I often hate the articles. Ick! Here’s a link to a graphic depicting their cover models, it is by the people at the directory below, but at least it might help in some way to show people’s issues with the covers. That said, they have a lot of people listed so they can be a helpful site to explore.

Therapy Den

Therapy Den is a lesser known directory than Psychology Today, but it does have an extensive list of specialties that other directories don’t, including Kink, Polyamorous and Open Relationships, Racial Identity, Pregnancy and Postpartum. How awesome! TherapyDen reports that it “believes in inclusivity and representation at every level” which is so refreshing to hear and that I see the person who runs the directory continuing to be more and more inclusive and wonderful. One example is that therapists can put in their pronouns in their profile. Yay! They are not perfect, but I do like that therapists can request changes. I just emailed in a request to add yoga therapy in as a technique that therapists can use.

San Diego Psych Association’s Find A Psychologist

Find a San Diego psychologist in San Diego county. Only members can list their information so it’s not all of the psychologists in the area but it’s nice to see more psychologists listed.

Therapy for Black Girls

I love that they have a directory for therapists who are culturally competent to work with black clients. We didn’t put our information on this list as it feels like it is more for therapists of color and we are white therapists. It is a great list to check out though with wonderful options. They also have a fabulous podcast that I encourage you to check out. 

2)    Ask your friends for the names of their counselors

If they like them and feel comfortable sharing their name with you, maybe you’d like them too!

3)    If you are looking for a provider who specializes in queer and or trans mental health care, be attuned to what words they use to describe their potential clients in directories or on social media and if they have any rainbow flags on their sites or otherwise indicate their interest in working with an LGBTQIQAP – population. I tend to try to stay away from therapists, counselors, psychotherapists, or psychologists who list outdated terminology such as trans* or homosexual on their home page without clarifying why they are doing so. I have leeway for therapists if these words are found on their blog as maybe they were blogging when trans* was considered an okay term to use or perhaps, they are talking about the medicalization of the term, homosexuality, and problematizing it or simply adding context to the terms they are using. I’m always looking for therapists who are thoughtful and openly write about their queer and trans focus.

If you are hoping to speak to someone who works with college students, call colleges and universities and ask if they have a list of outside psychologists to whom they refer or look on their website. Some of them list outside providers who are in their area. Some parents have even organized these lists on social media for their college student young adult children and their peers who need support but whose colleges are lacking the resources to provide them with treatment (Here’s one example for the parents of USC students to look for local or virtual therapists for their California young adult children ) 

4)    Then, meet with a few providers. Call them or set up appointments with them to see if you are a good match. The person you work with would ideally be someone you feel like you can be vulnerable with. It might take a few sessions before you find out if you can share with any one therapist or you might know immediately. Let them know if you can if it feels right or if it doesn’t. Many providers will be able to provide you with other names of people that might be a better fit.  Feel free to check out my other blog post on suggestions of what to ask that therapist during your free consultation and/ or first appointment.

I hope this blog post helps you find the right therapist in San Diego. If you are still having difficulties with locating someone awesome for you, feel free to call me, Dr. Abigail Weissman, at (619) 403-5578 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is going on with you and help direct you to the right person for your needs. If you are looking for help with reconciling being queer and/ or trans and Jewish, you can read more about how I, Dr. Abigail Weissman, can help here or if you are looking for a provider who is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) who specializes in assisting people negotiating Hearing and Deaf worlds, Dr. Camilla Williams would be a great person to meet your needs. We can both be reached through Waves’ contact page at www.wavespsych.com/contact or through email at office@wavespsych.com or the phone at 619-403-5578.