What to Do While You Are Waiting for a Therapist
By Laurie Groh, MS LPC SAS · 2026-07-09 · 6 min read
The average therapy waitlist is long enough to be its own crisis. Here is what actually helps in the gap, from someone who runs a practice with a waitlist.
You finally made the decision. You did the hardest part, which was admitting out loud that you need help. You called, you emailed, you filled out a form.
And now you are waiting six weeks. Or twelve. Or you got a list of names, half of which are not taking anyone.
I own a practice with a waitlist, so I will say the uncomfortable thing plainly: the gap between deciding to get help and receiving it is a real problem, and telling you to "practice self-care" while you wait is not an answer.
Here is what actually helps.
First, stay on the list
The most common thing I see is someone getting discouraged, dropping off, and then starting the whole search over four months later feeling worse. Get on two or three waitlists. Ask each one to keep you posted. Then let it go so you are not refreshing your inbox.
Take care of the floor, not the ceiling
You are not going to resolve twenty years of pattern in the gap. That is not the goal. The goal is not getting worse.
That means sleep, food, movement, and one human who knows what is going on with you. Unglamorous, genuinely protective.
Bridge support is legitimate
Waiting does not have to mean nothing. Interim options that help real people:
- A support group. Peer support for grief, ADHD, sobriety, or caregiving is often free and often the thing people say changed the most.
- Online therapy as a bridge. It is not identical to a long-term relationship with one clinician, but for stabilizing in the gap, something like Calmerry means you talk to a licensed person this week instead of next season.
- Structured self-guided work. Between sessions I often send people home with worksheets, because insight sticks better on paper. If you want something to do with your hands while you wait, Therapy Toolbox has practical printable resources.
- Couples work, if that is the actual issue. Sometimes the thing straining you is the relationship, not you alone. Programs like OurRitual exist for that middle ground between doing nothing and finding a couples therapist.
Write things down now
By the time your appointment arrives you will have forgotten half of what brought you in. Keep a running note: what is happening, when it gets worse, what you have already tried. Your first session will be twice as useful.
And if it is urgent, do not wait
If you are in crisis, waitlists are the wrong tool. In the US you can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any hour. Emergency rooms are also a real option, and using one is not an overreaction.
The thing I most want you to know
Deciding to get help was the part that took courage. The waiting is just logistics, not a sign you should stop.
You are not high-maintenance for needing support. Most struggles are wildly common. People just do not talk about them out loud.
More in Mental Health Tools That Actually Help, or ask a therapist a question for the show.
Some links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. This article is not a substitute for care from a licensed clinician. Full disclosure.