How do I find the right psychotherapist for me?

One question asked me quite often finding someone who is psychotherapy, "How can I find a psychotherapist for me?" The first thing I recommend is to ask around a referral from family members, friends and coworkers. Then I realize there is still a stigma about receiving psychological help.

Many people simply do not feel comfortable asking people in their own lives. Either they do not want others to know that they need help, or are afraid to make other people uncomfortable when asked!

1. Ask people you know for a suggestion. My first suggestion is even ask about (which you feel comfortable asking). In the meantime, I believe we must do more education on psychological problems so that people do not feel judged when they need help.

2. Check the yellow pages.
The yellow pages is still second to word of mouth referrals for psychotherapy. Yellow Pages advertising generally requires that professionals be licensed to list in certain categories.

While going to a professional license does not guarantee a good therapeutic fit, you can make certain assumptions: This is professional education and training needed to pass the licensing requirements in the State. This is professional ethical standards to be maintained, and if not, you have recourse to disciplinary action. This probably has to have professional continuing education in their field to keep his license. This professional must follow certain professional guidelines in the administration of treatment for their patients. Categories professionals who look under are psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, Marriage and Family Therapists, Social Workers, Councillors. Setting the categories of work are: Mental Health, Social Service Organizations, Centers for Crisis Intervention, domestic violence and Women's Shelter, Alcohol and Drug treatment centers, Human Service Organizations. These may vary slightly in their local phone lists, but you get the idea. The Internet is also a source for finding reputable professionals to help. Only to see the same credentials that you look for other sources of reference. As a point of clarification, psychologists have a doctorate and doing psychotherapy and psychological tests. Psychiatrists are MD or DO (doctor) with a specialty in psychiatry. Hence, they can also be found under Doctors in your yellow pages. Psychiatrists can prescribe and administer psychotropic medications, but most do not psychotherapy.

3. Get a referral from another professional Other professionals dealing with people at risk, like other therapists, doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, lawyers, offices of Human Resources in businesses, teachers and school psychologists and counselors, and the Police and All courts may be appropriate sources for referral. Some communities also have referral systems. For example, medical reference, which is a service call.

What kind of professional help that work best for me? Let's go through some differences in the therapists: Do they feel more comfortable with a man or a woman? Is Cree that you can connect better with a younger or older therapist? D Do you need to have a professional who accepts your insurance?

Do you need a therapist with night or weekend? Do you work better with a certain treatment approach or style? Want a therapist that is conducive to your lifestyle? For example, a therapist who is gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender saying. As a note, sometimes customers think they can not obtain the understanding of a therapist unless the therapist has had the same experiences. For example, "I can not go to a therapist who has never married," or "She can not understand, she never had children, or" He is advising me, and he is divorced! "He never lost anyone, how he could know how I feel. "There is a reason why therapists do not talk about his personal life, and this is one of them. Psychologists through extensive training to become professionals in their field.

Part of that training involves the therapist often becoming the patient so that they can work through their own personal affairs before trying to help others. Just as the doctor has not had all diseases, psychologists have not experienced every human experience, but they learn through training and experience. Now take a look at his situation? Do you need someone who specializes in your problem? unless a therapist lists a specialty in particular its advertising, most of the therapists are general practitioners and can handle most of the problems. Do you need medication? Most of the time a person does not know if they need medication. In this case, it's generally better to schedule an appointment with someone other than a psychiatrist. If you need a psychiatrist, you will be referred to one . Does the problem is more a matter of individual or a question of relationships? If the majority of its misery arising from his relationship and your partner is ready, start with a license Marriage and Family therapist.

These professionals have taken additional training and experience that qualify for specifics for Marriage and Family Therapist licensing. Again, this does not guarantee they will be good therapists, but it does mean that they have complied with certain requirements on the ground. If you have sexual difficulties, can wishing to apply for help from a certified sex therapist. I think it is better to seek professional help from graduate who also has experience and training in sexual dysfunction.
The scope of the Sex Therapy is a little less regulated than the others mentioned, so you want to make sure that this person is someone who is renowned. What kind of psythotherapy you feel would be most helpful to you This is a question most people do not know how to respond. What kinds are there? This is why which is helpful to talk with a friend who has been there. I'm first and foremost a cognitive therapist, for example, but I do not expect you to know that. And I do not list my primary treatment preference to any publicity because I like to be somewhat eclectic in my approach.
I would answer that question when you call for an appointment if you asked me. Certainly, I would like to discuss my approach when they came for their first appointment. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, I use a program exclusively cognitive / behavioral, if you came to for PTSD, I would like to add some other treatment modalities specific to that disorder. Marriage Counseling, although cognitive, it is a little different from individual therapy. For example, I use more structure, more homework, and I'm more active couples. It works better and gets more progress towards health more quickly.

What is the average duration of treatment? This is probably the most varied responses from everyone. Some have chronic and severe mental illness and the need involvement of a psychiatrist and medication for a therapist for initial treatment and then follow up at regular adjective as changes occur in the same state throughout life. Some are more difficult acute disorders as a major depressive disorder also may need medication and weekly therapy until the depression is reduced.

Of those who take antidepressant medication, some of them remain in medication for years to maintain health. Most stay on medication for 6 months to 2 years, depending on their particular case. Disorders Conduct of the Food and posttraumatic stress disorder, for example, can be stubborn to treat insofar as they have affected many levels of life of customers. In most cases difficult PTSD, two or three years of therapy it is not unusual. In the case of eating disorders, it can take longer. This is just a small sample of the possibilities, it really depends on the customer's response to therapy and your life situation and resources available to them in the community.
For people eating disorders, for example, there are excellent programs for inpatient treatment that can save lives, and the therapy would monitor it. Hopefully, he shed little light on the mysterious world of psychotherapy. These are suggestions for finding a therapist. One of the things that do not deal is "the personality factor." Actually there is no way to access their level of comfort with a therapist until they meet with him or her. Since The first session is usually gathering information, give the new therapist two or three sessions to see if their personalities are compatible to enter this important relationship of trust with each other.