Starting Outpatient Therapy: What the Process Looks Like and How it Works

What to Expect When Starting Outpatient Therapy

Starting outpatient therapy can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure what the process looks like or what happens after you reach out. Understanding each step can help you feel more confident and prepared as you begin your care journey. Here’s what to expect when starting outpatient therapy, from your initial referral to ongoing treatment.

Step 1: Making a Referral

The process begins when a person, parent, caregiver, or referring professional reaches out to request outpatient therapy services. This initial contact helps us understand who is seeking services and what concerns or goals have led them to explore therapy.

Step 2: Connecting with a Patient Care Coordinator

After a referral is made, a Patient Care Coordinator (PCC) gathers basic information, including:

• The reason for seeking therapy

• Contact details

• Insurance information

This step allows our team to better understand your needs and begin exploring appropriate next steps.

Step 3: Insurance Verification and Benefit Review

An Insurance Verification Specialist reviews the mental health benefits associated with your insurance plan. This includes determining:

• What services are covered

• Which therapists are credentialed with your insurance

• Whether there may be copays or deductibles

Once this information is reviewed, the Patient Care Coordinator contacts you to explain what we know about your coverage and discuss therapist options that are within your insurance network.

While our team helps review insurance benefits, clients are ultimately responsible for understanding their own coverage, including copays, deductibles, and any out-of-pocket costs.

If an in-network therapist is not immediately available, the PCC may discuss placement on a waitlist and next steps.

Step 4: Scheduling Your First Appointment

When a therapist match is identified, the Patient Care Coordinator schedules an initial appointment. At this point:

• Important information is sent to your email through our secure electronic record system

• Intake paperwork is encouraged to be completed prior to your first session.

  
  

Completing this paperwork ahead of time helps ensure your first appointment can focus on your needs rather than administrative tasks.

Step 5: Your First Appointment and Intake Session

At your first visit, you’ll meet with your therapist and complete an intake session. During this appointment:

• The therapist gathers background information

• Any remaining required documentation is completed, with the therapist explaining the forms and answering any questions you may have.

• Additional information may be requested if applicable, such as a court order or custody agreement

• Clinical assessment

As part of this process, the therapist determines an appropriate clinical diagnosis and whether outpatient therapy is the right level of care or if another service may be more beneficial.

This session is an important first step in building a therapeutic relationship and understanding your situation more fully.

Step 6: Scheduling Ongoing Sessions

Following the intake and assessment, the therapist and client work together to schedule ongoing sessions. Frequency and timing are determined collaboratively, based on availability, goals, and clinical recommendations.

Step 7: Developing a Treatment Plan

Within the first month of therapy, the therapist and client develop a treatment plan. This plan:

• Is tailored to the client’s goals and needs

• Outlines focus areas and therapeutic objectives

• Evolves over time as progress is made

This early phase is also when the therapist and client get to know one another and begin establishing trust.

Moving Forward with Therapy

Once the diagnostic assessment and treatment plan are in place, the therapeutic work truly begins. Sessions focus on the goals identified together, helping clients build skills, gain insight, and work toward meaningful change at their own pace.