A qualified psychotherapist who you can trust can be
a very valuable resource in your growth and healing. Here are some
suggestions for finding a therapist in your area:
1) Look for therapists who are licensed by your
state (or who are supervised by a licensed psychotherapist)
2) Look for therapists who belong to at least one
professional association. While this isn't necessarily a guarantee of
excellence, and there are plenty of very good therapists who are not
members of these groups, such membership generally indicates a
commitment to continuing training and to staying abreast of
developments in the field. Listed
below are several professional organizations
3) Ask trusted medical, health or educational
professionals, as well as trusted friends or colleagues, for names of
qualified local psychotherapists.
4) If you are seeking counseling primarily related
to the issues raised in the book If You Had Controlling Parents,
you might seek a therapist who has experience working with, or
specializes in helping, adults raised in dysfunctional,
controlling, or abusive families.
5) Recognize that psychotherapy may not always be a
comfortable process, but it needs to be a safe process. In choosing a
therapist, it may be helpful to call two or three therapists and
schedule an initial visit with each before deciding whom to work with.
Some people may prefer to work with a male therapist; others with a
female; some want a younger therapist; others like an older therapist.
Some therapists tend to listen and say little; others freely give
advice. (My orientation, particularly in working with people from
controlling families, is somewhere in the middle -- I find it is not
helpful to be a removed, distant, "blank screen" in the old
psychoanalytic model; nor do I find it helpful to talk so much that clients feel
as if I am telling them what to do, instead of listening.) Whatever your
preference, listen to and honor your gut instincts in making your
choice.
Dan
Neuharth, Ph.D., MFT (Calif. Lic#MFC29178)
Professional
organizations for therapists
Marriage and Family Therapists: The American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Online
directory of AAMFT member therapists
Most states also have a professional organization of
marriage and family therapists. See your local Yellow Pages -- look
under "Marriage and Family therapists" or "Marriage
counselors" -- for the local chapter of your state's Association
of Marriage and Family Therapists. Most local chapters provide a
referral number you can call to find out detailed information about
member therapists' backgrounds, fees, and specializations.
Psychologists: The American Psychological
Association.
Online
information about referrals to psychologists
Most states also have professional organizations of
psychologists. See your local Yellow Pages -- look under
"Psychologists" -- for the local chapter of your state's
Psychological Association. Most local chapters provide a referral
number you can call to find out detailed information about member
therapists' backgrounds, fees, and specializations.
Clinical Social Workers: The National
Association of Social Workers.
Online
directory of NASW member therapists
Most states also have professional organizations of
social workers. See your local Yellow Pages -- look under "Social
Workers" or "Clinical Social Workers" -- for the local
chapter of your state's Association of Social Workers. Most local
chapters provide a referral number you can call to find out detailed
information about member therapists' backgrounds, fees, and
specializations.
Self-Help and
Psychology Online Directories
Links to mental health, psychology, and self-help resources that you may find useful:
Adults Recovering from Narcissistic Parents Support Group
Mental Help Net
Open
Directory Project Support Groups
Self
Improvement Online
Healing
Resources
Yahoo!
Mental Health
Future
Health
Internet
Mental Health Links
More Links . . .
(Please note:
websites and organizations listed above are neither created or maintained by Dan
Neuharth, Ph.D. Neither
www.controllingparents.com
nor Dan Neuharth, Ph.D. offers any representation or guarantee as to the
accuracy, quality, or appropriateness of content found on these sites.)