Searching for a therapist is hard. If you or a loved one have ever started on the path toward the journey of therapy, you know that it's not easy. I understand. I'm here for you, and the Therapist Generator is, too.
The Therpist Generator parodies the therapist advertisements common on directories like Psychology Today and Good Therapy. In the United States, people seeking mental healthcare are not generally referred and matched with a therapist, but have to find for themselves a professional who understands their issues, uses an appropriate therapy, is within reasonable distance, and takes their insurance. With the increased demand in the wake of COVID-19, few therapists are taking clients at all. Even prior to the pandemic, however, therapists rarely responded to emails or phone calls from prospective clients. The experience is emotionally overwhelming and taxing, especially for people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
This need for therapists to market themselves to clients has given rise to a strange new genre: the therapist advertisement. These call to mind Cable TV prescription drug ads and singles ads in the newspaper. I imagine that therapists hate writing these as much as clients hate reading them.
The advertisements attempt to "meet clients where they're at" by describing therapy in plain language, but they miss the mark. They are vague and unhelpful at best and totally patronizing at worst. The descriptions of therapy make sense only to other therapists. ("My therapy style is eclectic and strengths-based?") Looking at long lists of issues and therapy approaches can leave you wondering if any of it is real at all. ("Psychodynamic?" "Attachment Based?" "Forest Bathing?"...wait, that's not real. Or is it?) Each advertisement looks the same as the last and none of them help you feel confident in making a choice. It's okay, none of them will respond anyway!
The generator reproduces many of the challenges and frustrations facing those looking for a therapist right now. If you're dealing with this, I hope it will bring you some joy.
It would be an honor if you would journey with me and use the Therapist Generator to find your next provider. My generator may serve up mediocre therapists, but at least some of them have open availability.