Want to get help now?

HOW TO FIND A THERAPIST:

Do you want to find a therapist? Has PsychAlive been helpful to you but do you believe that you can benefit from additional help? Or do you want to enter psychotherapy and use PsychAlive as a tool in your therapy? Or are your personal issues deeper and more distressing than the psychological issues that PsychAlive addresses? Would you like the help of a professional mental health expert? In any case, there are many capable therapists to choose from. Therapists use a variety of methods that are based on a wide range of psychological theories. Most of these methods have been found to be successful in helping people learn how to better deal with problems in living.

FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THERAPY, GO TO WWW.HELPGUIDE.ORG

Research has found that the relationship between the patient and the therapist is one of the most important elements contributing to good outcomes in therapy. The primary factor determining whether therapy will be helpful to you is not the type of therapy your therapist practices, but rather the level of genuine relating your therapist is willing and able to offer.

WEB SITES THAT WILL HELP YOU FIND A THERAPIST:

American Psychological Association:
http://locator.apa.org/

American Psychiatric Association:
http://healthyminds.org/locatepsychiatrist.cfm

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy:
http://www.therapistlocator.net/therapistlocator/index.asp

Good Therapy:
http://www.goodtherapy.org

PERSONAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD THERAPIST:

The ideal therapist would be a person of unusual honesty and integrity. He or she would be sensitive and feelingful as well as empathic and understanding toward you. This therapist would utilize the therapeutic relationship to help you recover your feelings for yourself and to implicitly teach you to value yourself as a unique individual.

The ideal therapist would be sensitive to the ways in which people have been hurt early in their lives. He/she would be skillful in helping you to reconnect to yourself and to your life. To achieve this goal, a therapist must be sensitive to your real feelings, qualities, and priorities, and be able to distinguish them from the defensive behaviors that prevent you from reaching your full potential. Although your therapist would have an optimistic outlook and a strong belief in the possibility of personal growth and change, he/she would not underestimate the strength of your defense system and would be sensitive to your fear of change.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU FIRST MEET A THERAPIST:

Did the therapist seem like a real person to you? Or did he/she seem to be playing some kind of role?
Did the therapist draw you out and make you feel like talking about yourself?
Did it appear that your story had an impact on the therapist?
Did you feel heard by the therapist when telling your story or stating your point of view?
Did you feel that the therapist had respect for you as a person and was not condescending?
Did the therapist say anything that tended to distract you from feeling?
Was the therapist more passive in his/her approach, or did he/she take an active part in the conversation? Which approach do you prefer?
Was the therapist friendly and warm, yet sensitive to the boundaries inherent in the therapy setting?
Did the therapist seem to have an optimistic outlook on life?
Did you sense that the therapist would be open to hearing all of your feelings, even if they were angry feelings expressed toward him/her?
Did you feel better or worse after your first meeting?

IN RELATION TO THE TYPE OF THERAPY:

What does the therapist see as the goal of therapy?
How does the therapist’s goal or goals for therapy resonate with what you want to get out of the process?
What is the therapist’s approach? What methods does he/she plan to employ?
How long will the course of therapy last?
How many sessions does the therapist consider as necessary or optimal for you?
What does the therapist expect from you?
Are there any homework assignments involved? Or any other expectations of you between sessions?
Are your comfortable with these expectations?
A therapist who is effective and compatible with one person may not be with another person. The person who recommended this therapist to you may feel compatible with his/her approach, yet you may not. If your psychological concerns are complex and long-standing, you want to choose a therapist who has extensive experience and training. His/her expertise and access to resources would facilitate your receiving the help you need.

DO YOU FEEL SUICIDAL?

Do you feel suicidal? Are you having trouble concentrating? Are you sleeping too much or too little? Are you eating too much or too little? Do you have no energy? Do you no longer take pleasure in activities that you used to find pleasurable?

Do you have suicidal thoughts? Do you have thoughts that you are a burden? That no one cares for you? Are you overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings? Do you feel like everything is hopeless? That life is unbearable? That it is so painful that you can’t stand it anymore? Do you think about hurting yourself? About taking your life?

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP YOU!!!

Call: 1-800-273-TALK

Go to:

http://www.befrienders.org
http://www.suicidology.org

Suicide Prevention Resources:

* If someone you know is at risk for suicide, call your local suicide hotline or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Download the Brochure:
“Save a Life”

Helpful Websites:
The Glendon Association – Suicide and Self Destructive Behavior
American Association of Suicidology

Read:
PsychAlive’s Suicide Prevention Advice Page
“Something to Lose”
Dr. Lisa Firestone’s blog, Suicide: The Warning Signs
Dr. Lisa Firestone’s blog, Suicide: How Can You Help Someone at Risk