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M$1 February 04, 2009 03:18 AM

How to find a good therapist?

Looking for some advice/guidelines on how to find a good therapist. There are so many out there, with so many different and confusing credientials.

How does someone sort through all this to find someone who can best help them?
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February 04, 2009 04:21 PM
Ask the people around you. A surprising number of people have seen or are seeing a therapist. General Practitioners may also have some advice. If you are working, check with your benefits people to get a list of who they can work with benefits-wise - often times they will have a suggestion as well.

Most therapists will do a consultation session. Don't be afraid to schedule with more than one therapist. Sometimes they may not be the best for you, but may have a colleague who can help. 

Have an idea of what you want before going in.
  • Consider what gender you would feel comfortable with.
  • Is medication an important question for you? Meditation? Do you want someone who specializes in family therapy? Grief counseling? Work-related stresses?
  • Would you prefer to consider a group therapy situation either as your primary therapy or in addition to?
  • Can you set appointments that work for your schedule, and in a place you can get to?
  • Is it important that you use insurance to cover costs, or that they work with you to bill on a sliding scale (either from lack of insurance, or inadequate/troublesome coverage)?

In the end, it's a matter of meeting a few people and finding someone with whom you feel at ease and respected, and by whom you feel challenged enough to face what you're up against. Make a list of your "top choices" and look them up online. Try calling and visiting a few different therapists. The very worst that happens is that your list is narrowed down.
Source(s):
Again from Psychology Today, but it's a good list of things to consider:
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/content/therapy_choose.html



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February 04, 2009 03:28 AM
It's best to find a therapist through referral of a friend or family member. However, Psychology Today has an excellent search tool for finding therapists. Use this tool, and I'm sure you will find one with great credentials, and who will be able to assist you with your needs. You can search by zip code, price, gender, and alphabetical listing. You can then select from a long list of items you could be looking for help in. Once you are referred a therapist from a friend or family member, then look on this site to validate that they are good for the area you seek therapy in.

Find a Therapist
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com

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February 04, 2009 03:48 AM
Being on Psychology Today, I agree...

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February 04, 2009 04:02 AM
Primarily, I think it depends on what issues you want to work out.

If you want to work on childhood issues, then a Psychodynamic therapist would be helpful. If you want to work on depressive or anxious symptoms, then a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT/DBT) therapist would very useful. If you want to do things different, a Narriative or Solution-Focusted therapist would be a good bet.

Secondly, it depends on how quickly you can change and how much you can stand the discomfort of change (bandaid fast or slow problem). There are some therapists whose style is soft and gentle. Psychodynamic therapists *tend* to be this style (but that's a generalization) There are some therapists who are more direct and more provocative (that's more my style) and post-modern therapists tend to be this way.

Lastly, you need to find a therapist you connect with. You might want to ask friends/family for a referal. You might want to call up four or five therapists and talk to them for five minutes (please don't think you'll get a free phone session). After you tell them what you want, ask them what they their approach is and what school of thought they come from.

Most therapist say they are "eclectic" (which is true). We all borrow from different disciplines, but most therapist come from some foundational training in a specific theory.

Feel free to ask any questions... I'd be happy to answer them.

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February 04, 2009 03:43 PM
As a mental health professional, I would recommend that you get a referral through a trusted source like a friend (especially if your friend has had experience with and likes this therapist) . Referrals from other mental health professionals and from other health professionals (provided that you like and respect their advice) are preferred secondary to friends who have actual experience with the therapist.

It would be best to make sure that the therapist is appropriately licensed in your state to provide the type of therapy that you're looking for. If they accept health insurance, then most likely they are. You can ask questions like that of the receptionist when you call to do a screening.

I would also recommend a trial session with the therapist. Ask if you can meet with the therapist briefly (without a fee) to see if this is a person that you will be able to establish an effective working relationship with.

Good luck!

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