How to find help?

[ticklemegreen]

I've never been in therapy but have reached a point where I feel it could be very helpful, but I don't really know how to go about it. I went on my insurance provider's website so I could see the providers in my area but none of them have websites or anything. I have no idea what they specialize in. Do you just call and ask (I did call but only got answering services today) Or does it not really matter? Do you just pick one and they all have the same basic knowledge? I compulsively pick my skin. I don't know how common this is, I don't know if I need some one who has specifically dealt with it before? TIA

[Oubliette8]

Call around and ask. There are many different approaches to therapy, so different therapists can actually be quite different. Generally the most important thing in therapy is that you feel your therapist is warm and empathetic. That is the best predictor of success, more than the type of therapy practiced. For compulsive skin picking, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) might be a helpful mode to look at, but I wouldn't rule out other types. (for the record, CBT is not my therapy of choice, and I rarely suggest it, but it seems effective for folks with compulsions).

The best thing to do would be to come up with a short list of questions that are important to you. Some general, some specific. For instance-
How many years have you been in practice?
Do you specialize in certain problems? What are they?
Have you treated someone with my problem before? How much experience do you have with this problem?
How would you treat someone with my issue?
What type of therapy do you practice?

Ask these over the phone, to all the therapists on your list, then use their responses to choose one, or a few who seem like good fits. Some people like to schedule an interview appt with a few therapists, which allows you to get a feel for each office and therapists personal style, plus how comfortable you feel with them in person. Some therapists do not charge for this type of meeting. After your initial meetings, you choose one. Other people go off their original list, pick the one that seemed most promising, and give it a try. If after a few sessions you feel the fit isn't right, you can always switch. Remember that not all therapists are right for all people. They can be the best therapist in the world, but still not be the right therapist for you.

As for how to find a therapist, you have the insurance company list, thats a good start. If you feel comfortable with people knowing you are looking for a therapist, you might also ask around. Your doctor may have recommendations or experience with local therapists. If there is a local mental health group, or OCD organization, they may have recommendations as well.

This link has REALLY good info about finding a therapist, the different kinds of therapist, where to look, and also has a sample list of questions. The organization that made the list specializes in PTSD, but most of it is relevant to anyone seeking a therapist. Just replace trauma with your issue in the questions. http://www.sidran.org/sub.cfm?contentID=62&sectionid=4

You might have to leave some messages. Depending on the office set up, some therapists do not have a receptionist or secretary to take calls, so unless you catch them between sessions (which can be tricky- some let out on the hour, others the half hour, and others have variable schedules depending on session length) you'll always get the service. If you leave a message you should receive a call back. All you need to say is that you are looking for a therapist.

[ticklemegreen]

Thank you! That's a lot of help. I didn't realize that most therapist don't have receptionist. Having a list of questions ready for my initial call is a great idea. It seems rather obvious, but I didn't think of it. The process just seemed so overwhelming! I'm going to check out the suggested link now, thanks again!