Therapists’ Take on Finding the Right Therapist With Special Guest Melissa Oliver, LMFT | Co-Founder of Stillwater Counseling Center Finding the right therapist can be overwhelming. Between confusing credentials, different specialties, insurance coverage, scheduling conflicts, and the challenge of finding someone you genuinely connect with, knowing where to begin isn’t always easy. And here’s something that might surprise you: even therapists struggle to find the right therapist! In this episode of Therapists’ Take, hosts Joshua Nichols, LMFT, and Carrie Kyger, LMFT, welcome special guest Melissa Oliver, LMFT, co-founder of Stillwater Counseling Center, for a practical and candid conversation about navigating the process of choosing a mental health professional. Drawing from their experiences as clinicians, practice owners, and therapy clients themselves, Josh, Carrie, and Melissa unpack the many factors that influence finding the right therapeutic fit. __________________________ 00:00 – Introduction: How to Pick Your Therapist 01:54 – Meet Melissa Oliver, LMFT 06:39 – The Story Behind Stillwater Counseling Center 09:08 – Why Finding a Therapist Can Be So Difficult 11:42 – Even Therapists Struggle to Find Therapists 17:23 – Licensed Therapists, Candidates, and Clinical Interns 23:57 – Understanding Different Therapist Licenses 25:00 – LPC vs. LMFT: What's the Difference? 33:47 – Specialized Licenses and Professional Credentials 36:53 – Finding a Therapist with the Right Specialty 38:52 – Should You Request a Consultation? 41:20 – Insurance, Scheduling, Cost, and Accessibility 45:07 – A Practical Checklist for Choosing a Therapist 48:09 – When It's Time to Try a Different Therapist 49:08 – Resources, Final Thoughts, and Closing _____________ Resources & Helpful Links Psychology Today – Find a Therapist — Search for therapists by location, specialty, insurance, and other Recommended Reading Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb Counseling Practices Featured in This Episode Stillwater Counseling Center — Co-founded by our guest Melissa Oliver, LMFT, and Lauren Nahara, LMFT. Serving individuals, couples, and families in Stillwater, Oklahoma.Family Solutions Counseling — Counseling services for individuals, couples, and families in the Oklahoma City area._______________ About Our Guest: Melissa Oliver, LMFT Melissa Oliver, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and co-founder of Stillwater Counseling Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Melissa graduated from Oklahoma State University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program in 2011. Her clinical background includes working in community mental health in rural Oklahoma and serving individuals and families through Wings of Hope, a domestic violence agency in Stillwater. These experiences continue to shape her approach to clinical care and her understanding of the importance of accessible, quality mental health services. In 2019, Melissa co-founded Stillwater Counseling Center alongside fellow LMFT Lauren Nahara. What began as a small private practice has grown into a multidisciplinary counseling center with approximately 15 therapists serving individuals, couples, and families throughout Stillwater and surrounding communities. Melissa brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to this conversation, sharing her own experience navigating the surprisingly complicated process of finding a therapist—even as a mental health professional herself.
