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How to find a good therapist?
killabee
Registered User new member
Registered User new member
Hey folks,
I'm a regular here, but I'll be posting this anonymously for obvious reasons. I suffer from (what I believe to be) clinical depression. It seems to run in the family. This really isn't a diagnosing thread, just looking for advice on finding a good therapist that can help me with the following:
How do I go about finding a therapist/counselor/psychologist/psychiatrist? Do I need to look for a "specialist" of sorts for my problems, or is it a general thing? I live in a very, very major city so I'm sure I have options, I just don't know where to begin.
Thanks and good night.
I'm a regular here, but I'll be posting this anonymously for obvious reasons. I suffer from (what I believe to be) clinical depression. It seems to run in the family. This really isn't a diagnosing thread, just looking for advice on finding a good therapist that can help me with the following:
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts (not sure how to describe this, but I don't feel I'm actually in danger of offing myself, just that it does come to mind at an alarming frequency)
- Physically, emotionally, and sexually abused as a child
- Anxiety
How do I go about finding a therapist/counselor/psychologist/psychiatrist? Do I need to look for a "specialist" of sorts for my problems, or is it a general thing? I live in a very, very major city so I'm sure I have options, I just don't know where to begin.
Thanks and good night.
killabee on
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I mean, find a therapist you'll be friends with. It should be fairly easy if they're actually a decently educated/smart in anyways cause that's like their job imo.
I mean that's how I see my therapist. A friend who just so happened to go to school for neuropsychology. I'm not saying that you should see the therapist that I have, but if you have a friendly one you'll have one that actually makes an attempt to understand you and not just shove pills down your throat.
Especially with the trauma you have experienced. I don't expect you to be comfortable retelling that story to your therapist if you find him/her intimidating or distant. It may be necessary to share that information, so consider the kind of person you'd be comfortable with.
BTW I had suicidal thoughts like that. I never decided to look up how to tie a noose or the benefits of od'ing on this rather than that, but I had numerous thoughts pop into my head while doing basically just whatever I do on an average day.
Like driving home form work I'd get a small urge to crash into a tree going 50+
All those things you listed are different things. My therapist isn't actually a medical doctor in the same sense of one that I would see for a broken arm, she can't subscribe medicine. I have to go to my regular doctor for my anti depressants.
Basically, plan out visiting multiple ones because like all relationships chemistry is important. I needed a friend more than just shut up and take this pill in my case so I sought one out. (I know not all is like that, I'm just generalizing.)
Are you enrolled in college at all? If so, check out the counseling services there. Typically they only offer brief services, but they would have referrals to clinicians. If not, if you have a primary care doctor, they may have some referrals.
People mentioned friends, you can definitely ask friends if they have used therapists if you feel comfortable enough.
It's been mentioned, but try out different therapists as different therapists are going to come from different theoretical orientations (how they do therapy). Don't be afraid to tell the therapist that it's not working.