How to Pick a Therapist

So you’ve decided you’d like to try therapy.  You feel a touch of relief for having made this difficult decision…only to immediately feel overwhelmed again as you discover how many options there are. What’s a good price for a therapist? Is it covered by my insurance? What’s the difference between a psychologist…a psychiatrist…a social worker…a counsellor…are they all the same? And what’s the deal with all these acronyms…CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS…how am I supposed to know what I need? 

I hope this blog post can help answer some of these questions.

WHO’S WHO

The best place to start this conversation would be with the who’s who.  There are a lot of different titles in the mental health world, and it can get confusing. Ultimately, the differences between titles mainly boil down to educational background and governing body (including whether or not they even have one). 

Let’s start with psychiatrists - these are the folks who went to medical school. They are medical doctors who can prescribe medication and make diagnoses. There’s a bit of a shortage of them here in Alberta, so it can sometimes take a while to get in to see one, and they don’t often do in-depth therapy (I’m guessing because they don’t have the time, but you’d have to ask them!). 

Registered psychologists completed an undergraduate degree and, at minimum, a master’s degree in counselling psychology (some also have a PhD but not a requirement in AB). They are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). To become a registered psychologist, you have to get your coursework verified, complete hundreds of supervised hours and pass an exam called the EPPP (nicknamed “the beast”). For a fun psych experiment, try mentioning this exam (referred to as the “e-triple p”) in earshot of a psychologist and watch their body tense up. 

Social workers have an undergraduate degree in social work. Not all social workers are therapists. The ones that are, go on to do a master’s degree. Just like psychologists, social workers have to get their coursework verified and get supervised hours. To be called a “Registered Clinical Social Worker,” there is also an exam (no idea how it compares to the EPPP - you’ll have to ask a social worker). The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) is the regulatory college for these folks.

Clinical counsellors, addiction counsellors, child and youth care counsellors, are all unregulated professions. This means there is no regulatory body confirming ongoing competency, and there is nowhere to direct complaints. The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta is working on regulation, but things have been moving slower than molasses in January.

I’m going to take a quick moment here to mention life coaches since they seem to be getting popular. Let’s be clear - these folks are not trained mental health professionals. They do not have the skills or expertise to work with complex mental health issues and are instructed in their courses to refer out when the work heads in this direction. If you choose to work with a life coach be wary and trust your gut if it starts to feel like they are in over their head. 

FEES

Let’s talk about fees. There can be a lot of variability in fees. Those in private practice set their rates. Psychologists are regulated by CAP, which puts out a standard recommended fee (as of 2025, this is $235/session). It is only a recommendation, though, and so some may choose to charge lower (or higher!) depending on how they decide to run their business. The Alberta College of Social Workers does not have a recommended fee, so social workers set their rates based on what they see fit. For all therapists, there is a time in your career when you’re just starting (think interns, provisional psychologists (these are the baby psychologists who haven’t completed their hours or exam), etc.) and these folks tend to charge even lower rates. Some therapists offer a “sliding scale” which can mean all sorts of things but ultimately has come to mean, “I sometimes charge less than my full price”. You’ll have to ask for more specifics on how much of a discount they can offer. 

INSURANCE

If your lucky to have insurance (and enough to actually cover a good chunk of therapy) your going to want to pay attention to the credentials of the therapist your choosing. For the most part, psychologists and social workers are covered and the rest (counsellors, life coaches) can be a bit of a crapshoot - but the only way to know for sure is to check with your insurer. Some therapists offer direct billing (meaning they submit your session fee to your insurer for you) but for those that don’t, you can submit your receipt for reimbursement after your appointment. 

MODALITY

Lastly - there’s all the letters. I’m not going to get into the difference between all the different types of therapy here. Perhaps another blog post for another day - though, to be honest, I find myself still learning about new ones on the regular, so just know there are a lot of options! Ultimately, different modalities have different perspectives on the cause of mental distress and, therefore, use different approaches to try to make things better. Some focus on changing thoughts, some focus on emotions, some focus on your body and some do all or none of the above. The point is if you try therapy and it doesn’t work, try, try again! There are a lot of different approaches to this work and it sometimes takes a few tries to find the right fit. Also, keep in mind that the research says the most important factor in the effectiveness of therapy is your connection with your therapist. So if it’s just not feeling right - trust your gut and possibly try someone new. We all get along with different people. The goal is to find someone you feel comfortable with, who seems trustworthy and like they understand what you’re going through. If they can also offer a clear plan on how things can improve, even better.

Therapy is expensive - here are some free resources.

Not everyone can afford to access the number of sessions they would like, at the frequency they would like. Therapy is expensive and insurance only covers so much. Below I have listed some suggestions for resources that can help you learn useful skills and gain a better understanding of yourself. These resources can be used in between sessions so you can continue the work on your own, or, if you can’t afford therapy at all they are great resources on their own. Remember, if you are ever in a crisis you can call the National Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8.

Website Recommendations

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Recovery College

• The Recovery College offers free short-term courses on various topics aimed at helping people ages 16+ increase resourcefulness. They have both online courses and in-person courses (for those living in Calgary).

Anxiety Canada

• Website dedicated to providing accessible, science-based anxiety relief. You’ll find also sorts of information sheets, coping strategies and more - they even created a useful app called MindShift.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

• DBT is a popular type of therapy filled with useful tools for developing mindfulness, managing emotions and improving relationships. This website offers all those skills/tools for free.

Australia’s Centre For Clinical Interventions

• Great source for self-help workbooks on various mental health topics - all for free.

Book Recommendations

Books aren’t free, but remember you can access books (including audiobooks!) for free from your local library.

Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness Using IFS, A Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy
Jay Earley

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Richard Schwartz

You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For: Applying Internal Family Systems to Intimate Relationships
Richard Schwartz