We know that one of the hardest parts of engaging in your mental health journey can be getting started—it is difficult to know where to begin. There are so many different types of therapy treatments and practices. Therapists also work from different theoretical orientations and varied styles, which can be confusing to navigate when choosing the right combination for your specific needs and preferences.
Furthermore, whether or not a therapist will have availability at the times that you can actually see them can also feel like a barrier to care. We’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about these things either.
Here's how we help
At Two Chairs, we aim to simplify what can be a complicated process. We also know from research that the relationship between the client and the therapist is one of the strongest predictors of whether or not therapy is effective. So we’ve invested in making the perfect match. In fact, 97% of our clients report a strong relationship with their therapist.
To make sure all our clients are matched with the best therapist for them, the first step in starting care with Two Chairs is sharing needs and preferences then choosing a therapist from a short list of curated matches. Let’s take a look at what happens when you go to book an appointment.
Getting to know you and your needs
The first thing you’ll do is tell us about your specific needs and preferences, so we can understand what you’ll actually benefit from in a therapist. To find your curated match, we’ll ask you questions like these before putting our powerful matching algorithm to work:
- What are you hoping to work on in therapy?
- How much do your concerns impact your daily life? (Your work, relationships or self-care)
- What characteristics matter to you when thinking about your future therapist?
- When in your schedule are you available to meet?
- What else would you like your therapist to know?
Not everyone comes to therapy with a clear idea of what they need—and that’s more than okay. You can share as much or as little as you know when booking your appointment. During your first therapy session, a licensed therapist will work with you to understand your needs and build a plan together. And if it doesn’t feel like the right fit, you’ll never be stuck—we’ll re-match you with a therapist who’s better suited to support you.
Considering your therapy preferences
Your preferences for therapy may not be something you’ve thought about before—and that’s fine! The Two Chairs matching process will guide you through and help you figure out what’s likely to work best for you, including aspects of your culture that might be important to consider in your care like gender and cultural identity, disability status, and military or veteran status.
We also know from research that the identity of your therapist can matter a lot so we aim to match you with someone from our experienced team of therapists who is not only qualified to treat you but with whom you’ll feel comfortable. While meeting your preferences is important, the most important thing is that we find a therapist who is best equipped to help you start feeling better.
And finally, therapy is something that should fit into your life, any way that works for you. We offer both online therapy or in-person sessions at one of our beautiful clinics so you have options.
What to expect and next steps
Once you’ve answered a few quick questions, you’ll see your top match: a therapist we’ve validated is a strong fit based on your needs and preferences. Take a moment to review their profile, including their background and style. If you’d like, you can take a moment to explore more curated matches, but there’s no need to overthink it. Choose the option that feels right to you in the moment, knowing you’ll have opportunities to confirm your fit once you start care. If it’s not quite right, you’re never stuck, and we’ll help you find a better match.
A signature matching experience
Our matching approach goes beyond simple filters or checkboxes. Each curated match is powered by your needs and preferences and our research-backed algorithm built from nearly a decade of experience helping people feel better. We look at patterns: what makes a strong fit, what has led to strong outcomes, and use that to guide each match rather than relying on surface-level criteria.
You don’t need to have all the answers or know exactly what kind of therapy you need. You just bring your perspective on what you’re experiencing, and we’ll take it from there using a proven, thoughtful approach to connect you with a therapist who’s best suited to support you.
Why matching matters
Why do we focus on this “match” between a client and a therapist? And what’s all this about curation and algorithms? Decades of clinical research shows that the relationship between a client and a therapist (i.e., the connection you feel with your therapist) is the best predictor of success in therapy. Two Chairs eases the process of finding a therapist who’s a great fit based on a client’s personal needs, goals for therapy, and preferences for a therapist.
Our curated matching process is backed by many years of research and combines clinical insights with data and in-house developed technology. To match a client with a therapist, we use a combination of clinical expertise and our matching algorithm to provide a treatment recommendation based on your goals, preferences, and needs to thoughtfully match you with a Two Chairs therapist.
The Two Chairs matching system is designed to support a strong therapeutic alliance between client and clinician — and it works. 97% of our clients report a strong relationship with their therapist.
A strong therapeutic relationship is consistently associated with improved outcomes in care. This evidence holds up across many care settings, whether it’s in-person at our beautiful clinics or virtual therapy.
For that reason, we pay extra attention to curating your match. Every Two Chairs client is matched with a highly qualified therapist with whom they can feel comfortable and set up for a successful therapy journey.
Having a therapist you are well-matched to also saves time, energy, and money as opposed to having to “shop around” for the right fit.
In fact, the American Psychological Association estimates that one in five clients drop out from therapy after just one session. The research focused on the alliance between a client and a therapist shows that clients often cite feeling dissatisfied in their relationship with their therapist as a key motivator for premature dropout.
We also know from the research that exiting therapy early can leave people with worse outcomes than those who are engaged in treatment. On the other hand, at Two Chairs, we not only believe curated matching leads to better clinical outcomes, we also continue to assess how to match our clients to exceptional mental health care by getting their feedback along the way using our measurement-based care approach.
Clearly, it is important to feel connected and emotionally safe with your therapist, which allows for the space to start exploring symptoms and working on achieving the goals that have been set out for mental well-being.
"The level of care is excellent, and it's sooo much easier to navigate than calling random therapists and hoping you can find one you like."
— Two Chairs Client
"My experience with Two Chairs was life-changing. My therapist was the perfect match for me. She was able to guide me through the worst of my anxiety and down a path of deep inner work and discovery - a journey that has positively impacted my life in every respect."
—Two Chairs Client
"Being new to therapy, I put it off for the longest time because I wasn’t sure how to find a therapist that was right for me. Your matching process made this stress-free, and I’ve already recommended it to others!"
—Two Chairs Client
You can also read our helpful article on how therapy can help with common mental health challenges.
