How Do I Find a Therapist?
The goal is to find someone who is a good fit and competent to help you navigate your concerns.
In the Appendix of Resolve to Rise: Become Greater than Your Circumstances and on the website ResolveToRise.com you will find a table that outlines many of the evidence based approaches to trauma. As you review it consider what you are looking for and what approaches sound best to you.
I find the Psychology Today platform the most helpful in getting a quick view of who is in the area, available to take new clients, and focused on and trained in the areas I'm seeking assistance. Psychology Today is a platform used in many countries; however, my instructions are based on the United States site at PsychologyToday.com.
At the site, you will do the following:
Click on "Find a Therapist" and enter your zip code or city
For Issues, select "Trauma and PTSD"
Start clicking on therapist pictures or names to pull up their profile
When you're in their profile you are looking for a few things:
Expertise*/certification using the approaches that interest you (look under "Types of Therapy" to find the approach you like, e.g., EMDR, mindfulness, etc.)
Counselor Fit: look for someone for whom you like what they say and the way they say it. The information "About" the therapist will let you know a little about what they prioritize and give you a flavor of their personality.
Expertise
A clinician can say they are an expert in treating trauma or that they like to work with individuals who have suffered abuse, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have the skills to help you heal what burdens you. There are many approaches and evidence based practices that have proven to successfully address the symptoms of trauma. It is important to know that no approach is guaranteed, in fact, if a therapist guarantees you success, you should run the other direction!
Because the research shows and I believe trauma resides in your mind and body, I like to seek out approaches that use both. Whether it is EMDR, Mindfulness, Internal Family Systems, or the like, you will engage the body and mind in the work. If you prefer; however, there are other helpful approaches you can pursue that engage the mind more, like attachment, cognitive behavioral therapies, narrative therapy, and such.
My main concern with talk therapy is it can leave you feeling more broken than whole. Because trauma impacts the brain, you may notice you've been "talking" about it for years and seen little if any impact in your life. This is why I would encourage someone looking for help and healing with trauma to seek out a clinician who is trained in an evidence based approach like those listed in my book, Resolve to Rise.
After your first session or two, read my article "Is my therapist right for me?" for thoughts on determining if you've found the best therapist for you.
