How to Find A Therapist

Picture of NAMI staff signing up for Medi-Cal. 

Understanding The Types of Therapy Offered 

Upon hearing the word “therapy,” the first thing that most people think about is a person sitting across a dull office space with a pen and notepad in hand, ready to hear you talk. But actually, therapy is much more than that. It is a medical treatment tailored to your own needs, with the guidance of a professional. Before understanding the different types of therapy offered, it is vital to understand the different types of professionals who can help and their credentials. When searching for therapy, there are several titles for professionals who can help: a psychologist, a therapist, a counselor, and a psychiatrist. A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology who diagnoses disorders, makes referrals, comes up with treatment plans, and identifies both behavioral and emotional problems of their patient. A therapist has a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling and/or therapy, delivers evidence based therapy techniques, and holds weekly sessions with their patients. A counselor, similar to a therapist, is usually short term in comparison to a therapist and instead offers targeted support. Lastly, a psychiatrist holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) title, has clinical training, can prescribe medication, and holds sessions with their patients only on an as needed basis. When searching for therapy, it can also be helpful to schedule an informational interview, in order to get a feel for what interacting with the professional is like. 

There are various forms of therapy that are offered according to one’s needs and/or diagnosis. A commonly used form is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is used by a therapist, in order to work on unhealthful thoughts that cause self-destructive behaviors, and instead focus on building constructive thinking skills. Within CBT, there is exposure therapy, which is used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and phobias, by determining what it is that triggers anxiety. Similarly, therapists may also use dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), as a way to develop skills that bridge uncomfortable thoughts with change and acceptance. Other forms of therapy include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), which can be a bit more difficult to find and on the expensive side but has strong evidence for treating trauma or other challenging conditions successfully. Interpersonal therapy, mentalization-based therapy, psychodynamic therapy, animal-assisted therapy, emotion-focused therapy (EFT), family therapy, group therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, creative arts therapy, and play therapy, are all additional forms of therapy available depending on the patient’s diagnosis or needs. 

Benefits of Therapy

Each separate type of therapy has its own set of benefits, which is why it is tailored to specific needs. One of the most common types of therapy, psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, has many benefits that will be further discussed. These benefits include: gaining confidence to improve communication skills, successfully resolving any conflict, treatment of mental illness, gaining self awareness to improve overall health, improving relationships with friends and family, gaining a skill set for coping mechanisms and setting boundaries, finding a positive support system, building and maintaining strong relationships, transforming negative emotions into positive ones, and increasing productivity at work and in your personal life. Just like every body responds to a medication in a different way, these benefits may or may not be acquired by everyone, and the time frame in which results can be seen will vary. It is important to note that therapy takes time and patience. I would personally advise to stick to one professional for a few sessions before switching to a new one, as progress is hard to decipher after a single session. 

Resources 

There are online resources available, such as psychologytoday.com, which make searching for a therapist easier. To narrow down the search once in the webpage, you can pick between searching for a therapist, psychiatrist, treatment center, or support group, as well as the city in which you are seeking help. There are also many filters that will further help you narrow down the search, such as gender, medical degrees and credentials and specialties of the professional, as well as in-person versus online treatment, your insurance type, type of therapy that you are looking for, your age, ethnicity, sexuality, language, faith, and even price range for individuals or for couples.