What?! No Consultations?
In the world of mental health, it’s become common practice to offer free consultations before booking therapy sessions. On the surface, this sounds like a great idea. After all, therapy is personal, and much like dating, you need to see if there’s a connection with your therapist. The solution many clinics offer is a brief 15-minute phone consultation, where you get to speak with a potential therapist and gauge if they might be a fit. But here’s the thing: consultations sound good, but they don’t actually work the way you’d expect.
At Tri Health Clinic, we don’t do consultations—and we’re about to explain why this is actually a better approach for you.
1. There’s No Evidence That Consultations Predict Fit
The mental health industry often does things just because that’s the way they’ve always been done. But at Tri Health Clinic, we base our methods on research and evidence, not tradition. And when it comes to consultations, there’s actually no evidence to show that they’re a good predictor of whether a therapist will be a good fit for you.
In reality, a consultation often just shows if a therapist is good at selling themselves over the phone—not whether they’ll be the right match for your care. We know this from the research, and that’s why we take a different approach.
2. Consultations Create Delays—And Delays Lead to Worse Outcomes
One of the biggest problems with consultations is that they slow down the process of getting you the help you need. Here’s how the process usually works in other clinics:
- First, our intake coordinator would pick a therapist or two for you.
- Then, you would need to find a time to talk to that therapist for a consultation.
- Maybe the call catches you at a bad time, or the therapist isn’t quite what you expected.
- Now, you’ve spent even more time connecting with them, as well as therapists from 3 other clinics you’ve looked at
- And still need to go through the scheduling to book your actual intake session.
By the time you’ve completed this whole process, it could be weeks before you’re finally sitting down with a therapist for your first real session. Meanwhile, your sexual or relationships concerns could be getting worse.
And we know from research that the longer people wait for mental health care, the harder the work becomes. The distress increases, and by the time you do finally see a therapist, your sexual health could be in a much worse place.
3. We Prioritize Getting You Help, Fast
At the Tri Health Clinic, we prioritize immediate care. We want to get you off the waitlist and into therapy as quickly as possible because we know that timely treatment leads to better outcomes. And who doesn’t want a fun, enjoyable sex life right now! You’ve suffered long enough.
That’s why we’ve developed our innovative hand-picking system for matching you with a therapist. Rather than making you jump through hoops with consultations, we cut the time-wasting back-and-forth and focus on what matters—getting you an intake session fast. In fact, we can usually get you an intake appointment within two days, and at most, within one week of reaching out to us.
4. Your Intake Is Part of the Process—and It’s Already Interventional
Here’s the thing: your intake session is not just about gathering information; it’s part of the therapy process itself. An intake is interventional. You’re not wasting time by skipping the consultation step—by jumping straight into an intake, you’re already starting your therapeutic journey.
And if you’re wondering, “What if the therapist I’m matched with isn’t the right fit?” We’ve got you covered.
5. We Offer Flexibility If the Fit Isn’t Perfect
We understand that sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find the perfect therapist. That’s why it’s our policy to offer flexibility in finding the right match. If after your intake you feel like your therapist isn’t the best fit for you, just let us know. Our intake coordinator will help you connect with another therapist—no hard feelings, no wasted time.
Our goal is to get you the help you need as efficiently and effectively as possible. We don’t want you sitting in therapy sessions with someone you don’t connect with just to be polite. If it’s not the right fit, we’ll help you find someone who is.
We Do What Works, Not What’s Common
At the Tri Health Clinic, we challenge the norms of the industry. We don’t just do what everyone else does; we do what’s best for your wellbeing. Our evidence-based approach prioritizes your well-being over unnecessary steps like consultations. We’re here to provide the best possible care, as quickly as possible.
But Hey, We’re Not Monsters – If You Really Want a Consultation…
We get it—some people really, really want a consultation before diving into therapy, and that’s okay! If a consultation is something you feel is absolutely necessary for you, let us know. We’ll work with you to set one up, and our intake coordinator will be happy to help facilitate that.
At the end of the day, we’re all about making sure you feel comfortable and supported from the very start of your journey with us. We want you to know that we’ve got your back every step of the way.
If you’re ready to take the next step and get started with therapy, trust that our process is designed with your best interest in mind. Reach out today—you’ll be hand-matched with the right therapist, and we’ll have you booked for your intake within days. We’re here for you, and we can’t wait to help you start feeling better.
