Good info on how to choose a psychotherapist

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

http://healthology.healthology.com/focus_article.asp?b=healthology&f=mentalhealth&c=mentalhealth_choosepsychotherapist&spg=sch

this site does a fairly good job describing what a psychotherapist is. i encourage you to visit the site, especially if one has issues that currently seem overwhelming and the use of a psychotherapist may be helpful.

(click above for the full article)

below, i provided a few paragraphs from the site.

-------------

a psychotherapist is a professional who is trained in the area of mental health and whose job it is to treat mental and emotional disorders. usually this is done through a combination of talk therapy and other techniques including relaxation exercises, biofeedback, and hypnosis.

psychotherapy is a form of treatment for mental and emotional problems. it can be used to help people with many kinds of difficulties, from fairly common ones (such as having trouble coping with stress) to less common, more severe ones (like being unable to leave the house because of crippling anxiety).

a psychotherapist helps people understand their problems from a new perspective by offering an objective point of view and new ways of thinking about and responding to problems. going through the therapy process tends to change people's feelings about themselves and their situations, and they become happier, more self-confident, and more effective in dealing with life's stresses.

-------------------------------------------------------------

if you need to locate a psychotherapist in your area, you may need to contact your insurance carrier. if this is not an option, try your yellow pages or connect to other web sites for a directory of psychotherapists. one such directory i've found to be helpful has been:

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/ppc/prof_search.php?iorb=4764

to your health and mental health,

i wish you the best,

wolfie

:)

----------------------------------

as a gentle reminder, the psychiatric nursing forum is not the place to obtain therapeutic treatment if one is of need of it. seek a qualified professional for these services instead. the forum exists to discuss issues relevant to nursing in the psychiatric field, to provide information relevant in the field of mental health, and to direct others to those services who are in need of them. it is not to provide medical advice.