I spent three months knowing I needed therapy and doing nothing about it. The anxiety had gotten bad enough that I was avoiding phone calls and lying awake at night running worst-case scenarios. But finding a therapist felt like its own overwhelming project, too many options, too much research, too many unknowns about whether insurance would cover it and whether I’d even connect with whoever I found.
When I finally started looking, it was easier than I’d built it up to be. Here’s what I learned about finding cognitive behavioral therapy near me, and what I wish I’d known before I started.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is a specific type of talk therapy focused on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The basic idea: the way you think about situations affects how you feel and what you do. By identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns, you can change how you feel and behave.
It’s structured and goal-oriented. Unlike some therapy approaches where you might talk about your childhood for months, CBT tends to focus on current problems and practical techniques. Sessions often include homework, things to practice between appointments.
CBT has strong research support for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, phobias, and many other conditions. It’s one of the most studied forms of psychotherapy and consistently shows good outcomes.
Typical CBT treatment runs 12-20 sessions, though some people need more and some need less. It’s not meant to be forever. The goal is teaching you skills you can use independently.
How to Find a CBT Therapist
Several paths lead to a therapist. The right one depends on your insurance situation and preferences.
Through your insurance. If you have mental health coverage, start with your insurance company’s provider directory. Call the number on your card or search online. Filter for therapists who list CBT as a specialty. The downside: directories are often outdated, and listed providers may not be accepting new patients. Call to verify before getting attached to any name.
Psychology Today’s therapist directory. The most comprehensive public directory. Search by zip code, filter by insurance accepted, specialty, and therapy type. Therapist profiles include photos, bios, and treatment approaches. Most people I know started here.
Ask your primary care doctor. Your doctor likely knows local mental health providers and can make referrals. They may have insight into who’s good and who’s accepting patients.
Through your employer’s EAP. Many employers offer Employee Assistance Programs that include free therapy sessions, usually 3-8 visits. The EAP can connect you with therapists or provide sessions directly. Good for getting started quickly.
University training clinics. If you live near a university with a clinical psychology program, their training clinic offers therapy with graduate students supervised by licensed psychologists. Rates are typically lower, and the therapy quality is often excellent.
Community mental health centers. Federally funded centers offer services on sliding scale fees based on income. Wait times can be long but costs are manageable regardless of insurance status.
Online therapy platforms. Services like BetterHelp, Talkspace, and Cerebral offer therapy via video, phone, or text. Convenient and often faster to access than traditional in-person therapy. Some offer specifically CBT-trained therapists.
What to Look for in a CBT Therapist
Not every therapist who claims to do CBT actually practices it. Here’s how to evaluate.
Specific training in CBT. Ask about their training background. A therapist who attended a CBT training workshop is different from one who completed a CBT-focused graduate program or postdoctoral fellowship. More training generally means more expertise.
They describe their approach in CBT terms. When you ask how they work, they should mention things like identifying automatic thoughts, cognitive restructuring, behavioral experiments, exposure exercises, or homework between sessions. If they describe something vague about “talking through your feelings,” they may not actually practice CBT.
They set goals and measure progress. CBT therapists typically establish treatment goals early and track progress over time. They should be able to tell you roughly how long treatment might take and what milestones to expect.
They assign homework. CBT between sessions involves practicing skills, tracking thoughts, completing worksheets, or doing exposure exercises. A therapist who never assigns anything to do between sessions isn’t really doing CBT.
They’re licensed. Look for licensed psychologists (PhD or PsyD), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), or licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT). Licensing requirements vary by state but ensure minimum training and ethical standards.
Questions to Ask Potential Therapists
Most therapists offer a brief phone consultation before you commit. Use this time to evaluate fit.
What percentage of your practice involves CBT specifically? What training do you have in CBT? How do you typically structure CBT treatment? What does homework between sessions usually look like? How long does treatment typically take for someone with concerns like mine? Do you use any standardized measures to track progress? What’s your availability for appointments? How do cancellations and rescheduling work?
Trust your gut about the conversation. Therapy works partly through the relationship, and if you feel dismissed or uncomfortable in a brief phone call, that’s information.
Understanding Insurance Coverage
Mental health coverage has improved but remains confusing.
Parity laws. Federal law requires most insurance plans to cover mental health treatment comparably to physical health. This doesn’t mean therapy is free, but it means copays and coverage should be similar to other medical care.
In-network vs. out-of-network. In-network therapists have agreements with your insurance company for negotiated rates. You pay your copay, typically $20-50 per session. Out-of-network therapists charge their full rate, you pay upfront, and insurance reimburses part of it. The reimbursement percentage and annual deductible vary by plan.
Deductibles apply. Many plans require meeting a deductible before coverage kicks in. You might pay full rate for several sessions before insurance contributes.
Prior authorization. Some plans require approval before starting therapy or limit the number of covered sessions. Check your specific plan requirements.
Call your insurance. Before scheduling, call member services and ask specifically: Is CBT covered? What’s my copay for in-network mental health visits? What’s my out-of-network reimbursement rate? Do I need prior authorization? Is there a session limit?
What If You Don’t Have Insurance?
Therapy is still possible without insurance coverage.
Sliding scale fees. Many therapists offer reduced rates based on financial need. Ask directly: “Do you offer sliding scale fees?” Private practice therapists often have a few sliding scale spots.
Community mental health centers. Federally qualified health centers provide mental health services on sliding scales. Fees are based on income and ability to pay.
Training clinics. University psychology programs offer low-cost therapy with supervised graduate students. Quality is often good despite lower prices.
Open Path Collective. A nonprofit network of therapists offering sessions at $30-80. Worth checking if anyone in the directory practices CBT near you.
Online options. Some online therapy platforms cost less than traditional in-person therapy, and pricing is transparent upfront.
Group therapy. CBT groups for specific concerns (anxiety, depression, etc.) typically cost less than individual sessions while providing effective treatment.
What to Expect from CBT
Knowing what’s coming helps reduce the anxiety of starting therapy.
First session: Assessment. The therapist asks about your history, current concerns, goals for treatment, and what you’ve tried before. You might complete questionnaires about symptoms. This session is mostly you talking while they listen and ask questions.
Early sessions: Education about the CBT model and how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect. You’ll start identifying patterns in your own thinking and learning the vocabulary of cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, mind reading, etc.).
Middle sessions: Active work on changing thought patterns and behaviors. This might include thought records, where you write down situations, automatic thoughts, and alternative perspectives. It might include behavioral experiments, testing whether your fears come true. For anxiety, it often includes gradually facing feared situations.
Later sessions: Consolidating skills, applying what you’ve learned to new situations, and preparing to manage on your own. Good CBT includes relapse prevention planning.
Homework matters. The people who benefit most from CBT are those who practice between sessions. Showing up once a week isn’t enough. The real change happens when you apply techniques in your daily life.
When CBT Might Not Be the Best Fit
CBT works well for many people but isn’t the only option.
If you want to explore your past extensively. CBT focuses on present concerns and practical solutions. Other approaches like psychodynamic therapy explore how childhood experiences shape current patterns.
If you’re in crisis. Active suicidal ideation, severe self-harm, or acute trauma may need stabilization before structured CBT can be effective.
If medication might help. CBT can be combined with medication, and for some conditions the combination works better than either alone. A psychiatrist can evaluate whether medication makes sense.
If CBT hasn’t worked before. If you’ve had a genuine trial of CBT and it didn’t help, other approaches might. Discuss with a provider what else might work for your specific concerns.
My Experience Finding a Therapist
I used Psychology Today’s directory, filtered for CBT and my insurance, and messaged five therapists. Three never responded. One responded but wasn’t taking new patients. One responded and offered a phone consultation.
That consultation lasted maybe ten minutes. She asked what brought me to therapy, I explained the anxiety and avoidance, she described how she works. Her approach sounded like what I’d read about CBT. She had availability that worked with my schedule. I scheduled a first session.
It took three weeks from first message to first appointment. The therapy itself helped within the first few sessions, not because problems vanished but because I had tools to work with. Twelve sessions later, I was done, with skills I still use.
The hardest part was starting. The actual finding and scheduling process took maybe two hours of effort total. If you’ve been putting it off like I did, it’s easier than it feels.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
