Tuesday, March 20, 2007

How to Choose a Therapist

MayoClinic.Com - Choosing mental health providers can be challenging. Try to match your needs with their experience and specialty. See what issues to consider and which questions to ask.

If you've never consulted mental health providers before, you may not know how to find one who suits your specific needs. Here are some issues and tips to think about, along with questions to ask potential mental health providers.

Consider the types of mental health providers:

You may not realize just how many types of mental health providers are available until you start looking for one. Should you see a family practice doctor? A Psychiatrist? Psychologist? Social worker? Does it even matter?

Several considerations can help guide your decision in choosing among the various types of mental health providers:

The severity of your symptoms
Your medication needs
The provider's level of expertise
Your health insurance coverage

In general, the more severe your symptoms or diagnosis, the more expertise and training to look for in your potential mental health providers. If you may need medications, for instance, you may want to consult a psychiatrist, who by law can prescribe medications and may have more experience with the wide range of psychiatric medications available. On the other hand, if you're dealing with teenage conflicts, you may want to consult a marriage and family therapist. You may even need to see several types of mental health providers to meet various needs.

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