The Secret To Finding Your Best Therapist
The Secret To Finding Your Best Therapist
Edgar Argo
A therapist should be chosen as carefully and mindfully as a spouse. This is especially so when seeking a therapist to treat chronic childhood trauma. In years past it was a lot more hit and miss. Nowadays we have the advantage of going to each therapist’s website and reading about their:
- Educational background
- Community, hospital, clinical and volunteer history
- Philosophy of treatment
- Preferred techniques of treatment
- Areas of expertise- You require one well-trained in trauma work
- Experience with EMDR/Eye Movement Desensitization Reprogramming (this is an absolute must!) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and how long they have been using those techniques in practice
- Familiarity with and support of a patient using amino acids to heal biochemistry
- Fees and what insurance they accept
Any articles they have published in lay magazines or newspapers will also be on their website or there should be a link so you can go and read the entire article. Although you will learn EFT in this book, it is still critical that the therapist you choose be familiar with the technique and that they use it commonly with their patients.
One of the most important factors is that you feel comfortable with your therapist. You should feel your therapist wants to hear what you have to say and how you feel about and perceive your story. After doing your research and selecting a therapist that meets all your requirements, schedule an appointment. Realize that does not mean you are locked in to that first therapist. If, after your first session, you do not feel this therapist is right for you, simply tell them you will get back to them about scheduling a second appointment. This also gives you time to quietly reflect on the session and explore your feelings about that therapist more fully.
Don’t be dismayed if the therapist diagnoses you after just one session. They need something from the DSM in order to get paid by the insurance company. I had this happen with a psychiatrist once. I had read a book about bipolar disorder and was convinced that was my affliction. In retrospect I understand my thinking at the time, “If how I’m feeling has a name, then it must have a cure.” I went to his office as if I was going to a court of law, armed with all my evidence. He listened to my reasoning and suspect symptoms, then asked me a few questions; one in particular was quite amusing.
Psychiatrist: Do you ever hear voices?
Me: Voices?
Psychiatrist: Yes, voices-like coming out of the television?
Me: Why yes doctor, all the time. Don’t you? (his eyes widen) Now if you mean, like, do I hear voices coming out of the file cabinet? Then no, I don’t.
His face turned bright red as he cleared his throat and moved quickly on to another subject. I did my utmost best not to have a giggle at his expense. At the end of our 50 minutes, he said he thought I probably was a manic depressive and sent me off for a blood test, before I could begin medication. He had me return to pick up a prescription for lithium. And that was how I was baptized into manic depression. All very scientific. Not.
Prepare for your first counseling session so as to utilize your time most efficiently. It helps to make a list for yourself of the main points you want to mention. If you’re very nervous you could write out your whole explanation and read it to your therapist. It is your hour and you can use it any way you feel works best for you. You should mention that you have an entire recovery plan (this is an excerpt from my book and refers to the strategy I have developed) and ask the therapist if you can count on their support. The best therapists are there to help you discover the answers that are already inside of you and to support you in healing in whatever way you feel will be most effective for you. Be willing to hear them out if they want to share some other skills they have in addition to the ones you require. A highly skilled therapist can greatly reduce the amount of time you will need to spend in therapy. So please choose carefully.
Available at Amazon > Worthy: A Personal Guide for Healing Your Childhood Trauma
Before you go, I want to invite you to join our Worthy Community. By signing up (the form is in the sidebar) you will receive:
* Chapter One of my book WORTHY A Personal Guide for Healing Your Childhood Trauma immediately
* Personal delivery of my entire Monday blog post weekly
****************************
You can find and subscribe to me spreading the love at:
https://www.instagram.com/worthyasweare/
https://www.facebook.com/healingyourchildhoodtrauma/
https://www.pinterest.com/azsunnygrl/worthy-as-we-are/
Copyright ©2018 Josephine Faulk, MPH. Excerpt from WORTHY A Personal Guide For Healing Your Childhood Trauma by Josephine Faulk,MPH. Available, along with accompanying Workbook, on Amazon.
