How do you find a good therapist?

Ask your primary care physician. They are used to making referrals and usually know of quality clinicians. You could also contact the psychiatric unit at a hospital. They will have recommendations for individual clinicians or outpatient clinics that specifically treat anxiety disorders.

Do you have a crisis center in your area? They might be able to refer you. If the anxiety is related to a crime, call your local victim services center. Otherwise, do what @mccabe suggested. :)

Try to find someone who is a director of a behavioral health program. Explain who you are (demographically, speaking) or your preferences and what you need help with. They will likely be able to match you up with a therapist who is a good fit for you.

Start with your primary care provider. Also, some employers offer counseling/referral services for employees.

Be sure to match your primary care physician referral with the provider list from your health plan. It can save a lot of money and hassle down the road. Also, if your employer has an EAP (Employee Asssistance Program) you might get counseling services for free from that list. It’s all confidential and doesn’t have to be work related.

Be aware you might have to try more than one counselor in order to get a good fit.

GA to AP for “Be aware you might have to try more than one counselor in order to get a good fit.” Sometimes it can be hard to find someone you click with personally. Don’t give up if the first couple don’t work out.

Thirding the advice to keep trying till you find one that works for you. It will be well worth the time and effort. Good luck!

You should go and see your main doctor for this, and then he/she can let you know who would be a good person for you to go and talk to, at least to check them out and see if this is the right one for you. You can even request that your doctor be a male or female which ever you feel most comfortable talking to. Hope this helps, good luck to you.

I don’t agree that your primary care doctor is the best source. Doctors and therapists are trained separately, and unless these people know each other socially, your doctor will not know the range of therapists in your community. Nothing wrong with seeing if your doctor has a good idea, but in addition, find a clinic or even a help line which has a resource referral service. It’s their job to know this stuff.