Resource: Personal Therapy
Personal therapy is one strategy to decrease the risk of vicarious trauma or to address and relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, or trauma and PTSD responses. Many people are intimidated by the process of finding a therapist who is a good fit, especially when experiencing the states of stress, trauma, and traumatic response that are leading them to seek therapy in the first place.
Where do I even start?
Extensive research supports the idea that the relationship you have with your therapist is an important factor in your healing. This means that it’s important to find a counselor or therapist who feels “right” to you. But how do you go about finding this right-feeling person?
While some people may be comfortable asking friends, family, and colleagues for recommendations, not everyone is. There are multiple reputable online registries that you can use to find a therapist in your area, including:
All of these sites allow you to filter by the issues you’d like to address or by the specific form of therapy you’re interested in (don’t worry if you don’t know what techniques you’re interested in—your therapist should be able to clearly explain what theories and techniques they use in their work).
Aside from the therapist being able to treat your specific issue and use a technique that resonates with you, what is often even more important is what kind of person the therapist is. And the best way to figure that out, before actually talking to them, is to read everything they have written on their profile page and website. After reading their profiles, pick three to five therapists you think could be a good match with and call all of them. If they don’t have availability in their practice, ask them for a recommendation. They likely know other therapists that would be a good fit for you.
Look for therapists who offer a free initial consultation.
Many therapists are happy to talk with you during an initial consultation at no charge so that you can discuss what you’re looking for and see if you would be a good fit for each other. It’s not just about figuring out if they can treat you. It’s about whether you feel like it’s a good match. Can you meet once a week and spill your guts to this person?
Some questions to consider asking during this initial consultation:
Are they licensed? What is their education and training?
What is their experience with stress and trauma?
How do they incorporate a trauma-informed perspective* into their work?
(Not all therapists are trained to work with those who have or are experiencing traumatic stress!)What is their general idea about how they would work with your concerns? Do they think you’d be a good fit for their experience and why?
This is also a good time to ask about appointments, fees, insurance, and other practical concerns you may have.
Trust your gut.
How did it feel to talk with this person? Did you feel heard and understood during your conversation with them? Is this the kind of person you want to talk to? If you didn’t get a good overall feeling, talk to other counselors until you do. It is incredibly common to feel uncomfortable or anxious when reaching out to a therapist, especially if you’ve never been to one before, but hopefully you feel a bit of relief after talking with a prospective therapist. Or, at the very least, that it’s safe to talk about hard things with this person.
