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Use these questions to prepare for a provider conversation. They do not determine a diagnosis or the level of care you need. Choose the relevant questions rather than treating the page as a scorecard. A clear explanation of a service’s limits can be as important as a description of what it offers.
NIMH recommends asking prospective therapists about their training, experience, approach and assessment of progress. The questions below expand that conversation into practical arrangements relevant to families, payers and advisers. [1] No information entered in your own notes is sent through this website.
Qualifications and scope
Who would actually assess and treat me? What are their relevant qualifications, registrations and professional roles? Where can I independently check them? Does the service have experience with the presenting concern, rather than simply experience with wealthy clients?
Which ages and needs does the service accept? What falls outside its scope? What would prompt a recommendation for another professional or a different setting? Ask the provider to distinguish directly employed clinicians, visiting practitioners and external hospital services.
Assessment and clinical fit
What assessment is proposed, and what information is necessary? How will physical health, current medication, substance use and existing treatment be considered where relevant? How are my goals included alongside concerns raised by others?
Why is this level of care being suggested? Could local, outpatient or existing services be appropriate? What alternatives should I consider? What uncertainty remains before a recommendation can be made?
The proposed work
What approach would be used, and why does it fit the concern? What would a typical session or week involve? Which activities are clinical treatment and which are optional wellbeing activities? How will goals and progress be reviewed?
What happens when the initial plan is not helping? How are concerns about the therapeutic relationship handled? Can the service explain its limitations without promising a cure, a fixed outcome or a universal timeline?
Consent, family and payers
Who is the client in this arrangement? What involvement is proposed for relatives, a family office or an existing clinician? What information could they receive, for what purpose and with whose authorization?
What does the payer see on invoices? Does paying create any additional access to information? How are separate communications handled in family therapy? How can I ask questions independently of the person organizing or funding care?
Privacy and records
How are appointments, records, communications and billing managed? Who can access my information? What are the limits of confidentiality, including emergency, legal or safeguarding responsibilities? Where are records held and what are the relevant access arrangements?
For remote or cross-border care, which practical and jurisdictional issues need clarification? Avoid accepting “completely confidential” as a substitute for an explanation of the actual arrangements and their limits.
Safety and medical capability
What help is available outside appointment hours? Which contact routes are actually monitored? What should I do in an emergency? For residential care, what medical support is available and how would hospital escalation work?
Does the service provide medically supervised withdrawal where relevant, or is that arranged elsewhere? Never assume accommodation or a recovery label establishes medical capability. A suspected emergency should go directly to appropriate emergency services, not a routine admissions process.
Costs and continuity
What is included in the written fee proposal? What is additional? What are the relevant cancellation, change and discharge terms? Obtain appropriate professional advice about financial, insurance or contractual questions.
Who provides follow-up? Can existing clinicians remain involved? How will the transition home or back to ordinary responsibilities be planned? What happens if the plan needs to change after the intensive phase ends?
Commercial context
Is the person recommending this provider connected to it or receiving a benefit from the referral? Ask for material relationships to be explained. Use these questions with any provider you are considering.
For more context, read choosing a therapist and private treatment options.
Sources and scope
1. National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies. Accessed 21 September 2026.