Psychologist reveals what employees need to find the right therapist

While a majority of employers consider mental health to be an important issue, their concern may not necessarily translate to usable benefits.

The Society for Human Resource Management found that 78% of organizations currently offer or plan to offer mental health benefits this year, but utilization and accessibility are major hurdles for those seeking care. Notably, six out of 10 adults who say their mental health is only fair or poor have not been able to access services, according to a 2022 survey from CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

It's likely that many employers do not fully grasp how challenging it is to find the right mental health provider at the right price — and the benefits they provide may overlook this, too, says Dr. Daniel Selling, a licensed psychologist and owner of Williamsburg Therapy Group, a collective of multi-disciplined therapists with offices in Brooklyn and Austin. 

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"Employers underestimate the path to care all people experience," says Dr. Selling. "A lot of people go through the insurance avenue and get a list of doctors, but those doctors often have too many patients, don't call patients back or get back to them a week later."

It's no secret that the U.S. has a shortage of mental health providers, with one study estimating the country will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists in the next few years. Dr. Selling notes that even once a person has finally come to the conclusion that they need help, they may not be able to find it.

"There is a moment when someone says, 'I'm going to seek help and talk about what I'm struggling with,'" says Dr. Selling. "But if this person can't meet the [provider] at that moment, they may move on."

While just locking down an appointment with a single therapist may prove time-consuming, it doesn't factor in just how much time and energy is spent "shopping" for the therapist who can best serve the individual patient's needs, underlines Dr. Selling. Even if employers offer a health plan or telehealth benefit that boasts a wide network of mental health providers, employees still need to find the right fit.

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"It's not far off from dating," says Dr. Selling. "When you meet a provider, you need to assess how you feel with them, if you are connected, if they hear you and if they are really dialed in. That sort of intangible human connection is essential to making therapy work."

Despite Williamsburg Therapy Group having full-time patient coordinators who know the available doctors' styles, specialties and strengths, Dr. Selling admits that they even struggle to make a perfect match on the first try.

"Finding a doctor who you can be comfortable and vulnerable with is never a perfect science," he says. "That's what employers often miss when building these benefits. That's why the offerings are highly underutilized — employees don't find that connection."

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From what Dr. Selling has observed, most patients have to meet with two to three therapists before settling on one. His organization expects as much, and guides patients as they choose the best fit. 

Dr. Selling advises employers to design a benefit with two vital points in mind: connection and navigation. Managers and HR leaders should be aware that it will take time and guidance to find the right therapist, and the benefit should feature coordinators who can at least point employees in the right direction. Dr. Selling believes that most telehealth apps don't cut it, due to a lack of intimacy in the experience. 

"Using an app is often a very disconnected experience," he says. "While therapy can be highly effective virtually, people are seeking real connections and we've seen a big trend of people wanting to be seen in-person over teletherapy."

Dr. Selling also warns employers to be wary of telehealth start-ups that prioritize quantity over quality, noting that it's better to have fewer well-vetted therapists with real experience treating specific conditions, than thousands of therapists where there's a likelihood of bad providers falling through the cracks. In fact, virtual therapy platform BetterHelp was under fire last year, when multiple TikTok users posted stories that claimed they were ignored or even traumatized by the therapists they met with.

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Williamsburg Therapy Group offers virtual and in-person care, and Dr. Selling recommends that employers ensure their benefit boasts access to both options, with at least 10 to 12 sessions free of charge. 

"The employer's ability to pay beyond that pays itself back," says Dr. Selling. "Employees and their family members will feel less anxious and find more resolutions for the conflicts in their lives. The consequential increase in engagement and productivity at work pays dividends."

Dr. Selling understands that employers still may feel afraid of the costs of an effective mental health benefit. But when the benefit works, employers should see healthier workers who miss fewer days of work, have lower chances of stress-induced chronic conditions and desire to remain at their current workplace — because they feel seen as people, not just labor, underlines Dr. Selling.

"You have to offer a product that employees are actually going to use," says Dr. Selling. "Smarter CEOs are recognizing that there's a major return in investing in the emotionality of their staff."