Dear Normalpc,
How do I find a good therapist? I am new to this and don’t know where to
start or what I need?
Confused
Dear Confused,
Thank you for asking what a lot of other people are wondering. Let’s start with a few questions? What are you looking for? Are you looking for medication/are you currently on psychiatric medication? Are you looking for therapy? Are you looking for psychological testing? Under the umbrella of mental health there are 3 main categories:
Psychiatrist – medication only
Psychologist – psychological testing, psychotherapy
Psychotherapist – psychotherapy
In general, I recommend starting with a psychologist or a therapist. It’s tempting to start with medication as many people believe medication to be a quick fix. But they aren’t always needed and they can inhibit your ability to access your feelings and process trauma. On the other hand, sometimes, medication stabilization is needed before a person can benefit from psychotherapy. For example; if you are unable to function (complete your day to day duties: work, get out of bed...) or if you have Bipolar do, Major Depressive do, Psychosis, or anything similar; then being stable on medication is a pre-requisite for benefiting from therapy.
If however, you are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, grief, “situational” depression or the like and are able to “function”; start with seeing a therapist. It may be that he/she will recommend you seeing a psychiatrist in conjunction with therapy; but a lot of the time the symptoms are environmental or resulting from un-resolved trauma – in this case a therapist would benefit you most.
A good resource for finding a therapist is Psychology Today and you can always call your insurance company or ask your primary care doctor for a referral.
Take care of you,
Normalpc
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