What to Do If You’re on a Therapy Waitlist

You’ve taken the brave first step—reaching out for therapy. But now you’re on a waitlist, and that can feel frustrating, disheartening, or even a little hopeless. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we know how important timely mental health care is. If you're waiting to be matched with a therapist or your sessions haven't started yet, you still deserve support in the meantime. Here's what you can do while you wait.

1. Know That You’re Not Alone Therapy waitlists are unfortunately common—especially in community-centered practices that accept OHP, Kaiser, or PacificSource. Reaching out at all is a powerful first step, and it means you’ve already started advocating for your mental health.

2. Ask About Check-Ins or Updates If you’re on Sprout’s waitlist, you can always reach out to check on your status or ask questions. We’re happy to let you know where things stand and offer additional support or referrals if you need them.

3. Try Mental Health Journaling Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you process what’s coming up and track any patterns. It can also be a great resource to bring into therapy once your sessions begin.

4. Use Grounding and Coping Skills While not a substitute for therapy, grounding practices like:

• Deep breathing

• Naming 5 things you see/hear/feel

• Going for a short walk

• Limiting overwhelming inputs (like news or social media) can help ease anxiety and stress while you wait.

5. Tap into Safe Support If you feel comfortable, talk to a trusted friend or family member. You don’t have to share everything—but connection helps. Support groups or warm lines (non-crisis support lines) can also be helpful during this time.

6. Consider Temporary Resources We understand that therapy isn’t always immediately available. If you’re in need of more immediate support, let us know—we may be able to offer short-term referrals or bridge resources.

You’re Not Forgotten At Sprout Therapy PDX, we keep our caseloads intentionally small so our therapists can be present and responsive once you’re matched. We care deeply about getting you connected to the right therapist—not just the next available one.

Final Thoughts Being on a waitlist doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of care. It means your future therapist is preparing the space to support you well. In the meantime, your well-being still matters—and small acts of self-support can make a difference.

On a waitlist and feeling stuck? Reach out to our team with questions, updates, or just to check in. We’re here to support you every step of the way.