What's a good way to go about finding a therapist to help with post-traumatic stress disorder?

For USians. Good luck!

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/

I agree that it’s a personal choice. You probably want to start with a single visit without making any kind of commitment to see if you have a good chemistry with the therapist.

I suggest you look for a Licensed Certified Social Worker, who has had additional education in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy techniques. This may sound awfully specific, but the fact is, you will find your choice of several people who meet these criteria.

Your town or county may have a mental health program – that is a very good place to start looking for a referral. Looking on-line can be good too, as you can use DBT and LCSW as two of your search terms. That and a Zip code would be the way I would start an on-line search.

If you want to know why I make these particular suggestions, please feel free to PM me, but basically it is because I believe anyone who satisfies these criteria will at least have been well-trained, so you just have to worry whether you like the person or not.

@TheIncomparableBenziniBrothers I agree completely, it’s a very good idea for sure ^_^

@pdworkin Terrific response! Lots of great info to work with for sure :D

Thanks for all the responses so far! I already feel less overwhelmed by this – LB

Note: I’m Canadian, hehe

Even better. I’m not sure what the Canadian equivalent of LCSW is, but the DBT part is definitely the same.

Do you have a general practitioner that you know and trust? I would ask if they know anyone.

The first thing you may try is to simply look in the phonebook. Look for people who list their specialty as PTSD or as general anxiety. Then call them up and ask the receptionist to talk about the therapist a bit. See if you like what is being said.

Another avenue is to go to an office that has several therapists in it. In these offices they generally will screen you to see which counselor they think you will work best with. These has some nice benefits and you have to be “screened” in every setting anyhow.

The next thing you will want to look at is what style of therapy is being used. There are several styles. After you read up on them a bit you may find that some speak to you more and some don’t sound like a good fit. Before you schedule with a therapist ask them what style they use. Here is a site to get you started on that:
http://www.findingstone.com/services/typesoftherapy.htm

Other than that realize that you can always change therapists. If after 2–3 (give it more than 1) meetings you aren’t connecting with your therapist you may choose to try someone else. Be self-critical though. Some people decide they don’t like their therapist simply to avoid the hard work of therapy and often we do that subconsciously. Also keep in mind the first meeting or two is usually quite different from the actual therapy. The first meeting is typically a type of screening and then next is more of a get-to-know-ya type meeting (not always in that order). After that the work will start.

On second thought another thing you may want to consider is if you want someone who is more assertive in their therapy technique or more passive/gentle in their therapy technique. Both can be very effective. This is another question you may ask about before setting an appointment.

Oh and if we are being practical you may take into account cost as well. Some therapy can be quite costly and others can be on a sliding-scale fee. For you this may not be an issue but keep in mind there are low-cost alternatives just in case it is.

I was in a scary car accident as well. I hit a cement divider and totaled my car. I was alone with no cell phone. It was so scary. I still have anxiety whenever myself (or anyone else who is driving me somewhere) drives by one of those cement dividers.

@pdworkin So caring. Yet so apparently disdainful (in fact,almost hawkish about the plight of) any Iranians. Or am I way off the mark?

I bleed for the Iranian people. You must have misunderstood something.

@pdworkin If you do, then I must have.
But lets hope that they don’t bleed soon for profit.

As for the questioner, you are a billion and more miles from having been killed (” I walked away with only a small cut on my finger and spine/ neck compression”.) , dwell on that fact, jump in your car and go for a lovely drive and be comforted.

You should be able to get a referral from your regular doctor. If not, perhaps your insurance company has a list of doctors in their ‘favored’ group.

I suffer PTSD as well, but did a lot of intensive therapy to help myself. I went through multiple therapists/psychiatrists before I found one that worked for me. It can be a long process. I’d start by finding one covered by your insurance and go from there.

I know exactly what you are going through, I have PTSD due to a few things, but one was from a very similar accident a couple of years ago. I flipped as well, and was able to walk away with relatively minor injuries considering the circumstances. Know that it is is very treatable, and you are doing the right thing by trying to find a good therapist. Here is a site I came across, might help you get a better understanding of what’s going on. http://healmyptsd.com/

As for finding the right therapist, it’s just a trial and error process. I would suggest asking someone in the medical field that you might trust if they could recommend a therapist. If you have insurance, see if they have a list of therapists in your area, and look for ones who specifically specialize in PTSD. They do have therapist out there that do, and it does make a difference. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for your help, you have given me a huge feeling of relief and have lifted a great weight off my shoulders. I have a good direction now and I can start to work on feeling better. Hugs to you all! – LB

Here’s a list of therapists specializing in PTSD in Alberta, Canada. Several of them are from Edmonton, if that’s your current abode. It’s a starting point.

You can call them and interview them on the phone. As what their style is, and what their theoretical approach is. Ask if they have an specific skills they can train you to deal with PTSD. You may want to look up information about virtual reality desensitization, which apparently is a very successful technique used with returning Iraq vets with PTSD.

Good luck!