Human-led therapist matching
Find a therapist
who fits your needs.
Tell us what brings you to therapy and what matters to you. Our team considers your goals, preferences, insurance and schedule, then recommends an available MMHC therapist with relevant experience.
Help Me Find a TherapistStart with a free 15-minute screening.
Rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra.
Meet your matching team
Judy Stiffler
Mari Monasterial
Lauren Hooper
2026 client experience surveys
389 clients surveyed
92%
would recommend MMHC
99%
felt safe and welcome with their therapist
90%
said therapy was addressing what brought them to care
Human-led matching
Benefits reviewed and clinician recommended within 24 hours
First sessions often available within five days
Rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra
Quick answers
Therapist Matching at a Glance
- 1
Who makes the match?
Your match starts with people who take the time to understand you.
Our support team, Judy Stiffler, Mari Monasterial, and Lauren Hooper, personally guides the matching process. We listen to what brings you to therapy, what you’re looking for in a therapist, and what matters to you.
- 2
What informs the recommendation?
Your goals, therapist preferences, schedule, insurance and the relevant experience of available MMHC clinicians.
- 3
How long does it take?
MMHC reviews your benefits and the matching team recommends an available clinician within 24 hours. First sessions are often available within five days after the form is submitted.
- 4
What if the first match doesn’t feel like the right fit?
You can tell your therapist when possible or contact MMHC directly. The matching team responds to rematch requests within one business day, and rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra.
A person, not an algorithm
Why MMHC Uses Human Matching
Profiles and filters can narrow a search. They cannot resolve every tradeoff in a real match. One clinician may fit your goals but not your schedule; another may participate with your plan but have less relevant experience for what you want to address. MMHC’s support team considers those factors together and recommends an available clinician within one coordinated practice.
No matching process can predict every aspect of fit. Human matching means a named person remains responsible for the matching process and can act on your feedback if the first recommendation doesn’t feel like the right fit.
Five factors, considered together
What the Matching Team Considers
The matching team considers five factors together:
- 1
Your goals. What you want help with and what you hope will change.
- 2
Your therapist preferences. Qualities or practical preferences that matter to you, including any language preference.
- 3
Your schedule. The times you can consistently meet.
- 4
Your insurance. Plan participation and the benefit information available from your insurer.
- 5
Relevant clinician experience. Which available MMHC clinicians have experience and legal scope relevant to your needs.
If a specific clinician interests you, say so. Your preference informs the recommendation, subject to clinician availability, plan participation and MMHC’s service scope.
MMHC recommends clinicians for needs within their training, experience and legal scope. Limited-permit counselors practice under required supervision.
See MMHC’s clinical quality standards.From first message to first session
How MMHC Matches You With a Therapist
Reach out.
Submit the form or call MMHC. Tell the team what you want help with, what matters to you in a therapist, when you can meet and what insurance you have.
Complete a free 15-minute screening.
The team confirms your location, needs, availability and whether scheduled outpatient teletherapy appears to be an appropriate setting.
Within 24 hours
Receive benefit information and a therapist recommendation within 24 hours.
The support team reviews insurer-reported benefits and provides an estimate of copay, deductible or coinsurance. The matching team reviews the five matching factors and recommends an available clinician.
Often within five days
Schedule the first session.
The support team helps schedule with the recommended clinician. First sessions are often available within five days after form submission. Evening and weekend options depend on clinician availability.
Exact first-session timing depends on clinical fit, plan participation, schedule and clinician availability. Benefit information is an estimate based on what the insurer reports and is not a guarantee of payment.
Rematching
You Can Ask for a Different Match
Some aspects of fit become clear only after therapy begins. If the relationship doesn’t feel like the right fit, you can tell your therapist when possible or contact MMHC directly. The matching team responds to rematch requests within one business day, and rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra.
The response begins the rematch process; it does not guarantee that a new clinician or appointment will be available within one business day.
A new clinician may need to review or update parts of the assessment and establish a new working relationship. Coverage and member responsibility still depend on the new clinician’s plan participation and your insurer’s terms.
Meet all MMHC therapists.Review accepted insurance and out-of-pocket costs.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who matches me with a therapist?
MMHC’s support team, Judy Stiffler, Mari Monasterial and Lauren Hooper, personally guides every therapist match. They review your goals, preferences, schedule, insurance and the relevant experience of available MMHC clinicians, then recommend an available therapist.
Does MMHC use an algorithm or quiz to assign therapists?
No. MMHC’s support team personally guides every match. Your goals, preferences, schedule, insurance and relevant clinician experience inform the recommendation; no algorithm or quiz assigns a therapist.
What does the matching team consider?
The matching team considers five factors together: your goals, therapist preferences, schedule, insurance and the relevant experience of available MMHC clinicians. Availability, plan participation, clinician scope and MMHC’s service scope also affect which clinician can be recommended.
Can I request a specific therapist?
Yes. Tell the matching team if a specific clinician interests you. Your preference informs the recommendation, subject to clinician availability, plan participation and MMHC’s service scope.
How long does it take to get matched?
The process begins with a free 15-minute screening. MMHC reviews benefits and the matching team recommends an available clinician within 24 hours. First sessions are often available within five days after the form is submitted. Exact timing depends on clinical fit, plan participation, schedule and clinician availability.
What if the first therapist doesn’t feel like the right fit?
You can tell your therapist when possible or contact MMHC directly. The matching team responds to rematch requests within one business day, and rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra. Any new recommendation remains subject to clinician availability and insurance network participation.
Will switching therapists cost extra or change my coverage?
The matching team responds to rematch requests within one business day, and rematching within MMHC costs nothing extra. Regular therapy charges still apply. Coverage and member responsibility depend on the new clinician’s plan participation and your insurer’s terms. A new clinician may need to review or update parts of the assessment.
Does the matching process diagnose me?
No. Matching is not a diagnosis or a substitute for clinical assessment. Your treating clinician completes the appropriate assessment after care begins.
Get started
Tell Us What Matters in a Therapist
Tell us what you want help with, what matters to you in a therapist, your availability and your insurance. Begin with a free 15-minute screening.
- 1Free 15-minute screening
- 2Support team weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Prefer to call? 212‑960‑8626
Clinical review
Founder and Founding Clinical Chair of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling and a licensed mental health counselor in New York State. This page was clinically reviewed for accuracy and clinical voice.
Last Updated: September 2026 | Next Review: March 2027
In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room; MMHC is not an emergency or crisis-response service. This page explains MMHC’s matching process and does not replace clinical assessment. See MMHC’s emergency resources.