Healing From Trauma: Why Finding the Right Therapist Matters

Why is Finding the right therapist so important to healing trauma?

Why does it matter to take your time to find the right fit for you?

There are a number of important reasons why finding the right therapist to embark on a

trauma healing journey matters. The key ones that come to mind for me are:

1) choosing a trauma experienced therapist as healing trauma is vulnerable and hard, but also worth it

2) you need a trauma therapist that is technically experienced in any therapeutic approaches

specifically important to you

3) trauma happens in attachment and is healed in attachment. While you may or may not choose to make healing attachment a central part in your treatment, it is always part of the therapeutic relationship when healing trauma

4) you will need to be aware of where your trauma therapist works and the related treatment options there.

Confused on why choosing the right therapist matters? No worries,

let’s unpack these 4 decision points in choosing the right trauma therapist.

1) Choosing/Finding the Right Trauma Therapist Experienced in Healing and Treating Trauma.

Why is it SO important to find the right therapist so you can heal from your trauma?

You are likely struggling in your life due to your identified trauma experience(s).

You may have increased anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks/nightmares and your sex life may

be unsatisfying &/or triggering. These are very personal, vulnerable things to talk about.

So please ensure you take the time to find a trauma therapist you feel comfortable talking to.

This is where their experience in trauma treatment healing is so important. They have to know

what you are going through and how to treat it. You have to build trust and know this

process is worth it, will yield good results so you feel more in control and better

understand your trauma triggers.

A trauma therapist should be aware you are the one that goes home with the hard things that come up for you.

You are bringing it to the surface to heal and feel better.

You need to trust that your therapist can hold space for you and know what

they are doing. Many therapists are trauma informed which is not the same as

specialized. You need to feel comfortable asking questions and possibly getting

reassurance along the way. Sometimes we don’t know what we are looking for, but

know when we have found it.

2) Finding the Right Trauma Therapist Experienced in the Healing Approaches You Are Interested in Trying.

Some people have an idea of the approach they want to try to process and heal trauma.

You may have tried a few approaches and they helped, but are looking for a different

one moving forward.

You may have read a therapist’s profile and be excited about more

nonverbal/creative approaches they use in their sessions. Your chosen therapist will

need to be experienced in the approaches you want to try or speak to you. There are

many ways to heal trauma. Ex. EMDR, Sandtray, CBT. They all work, it is about finding

the right one for you.

But remember, the most important reason to choose a therapist is making sure you are comfortable with them and feel you can begin building trust.

3) Finding the Right Trauma Therapist for Attachment in Trauma Therapy Healing.

Attachment is a fancy way of referring to how we connect with others and our beliefs

around those connections Ex. Being close to others is unsafe, people will always hurt

me. Some therapeutic approaches directly treat this attachment as it is always affected

by a trauma history.

But even if you choose strictly a strategy-based approach that

does not directly treat your attachment wounds, it is an indirect part of therapy that

activates in session, as in all close relationships. This can result in finding it hard to trust

your therapist as you get more vulnerable, and will inevitably play out in sessions.

Your therapist will need to know how to help you in this and you will want to choose someone

you can talk to about this. Otherwise you may get uncomfortable and feel the need to

stop going before your treatment has been completed.

4) Finding the Right Trauma Therapist by Considering Where Your Trauma Therapist Works.

This is a very practical important piece. If your therapist works in a health care setting

they may only be able to offer a certain number of sessions. There may be waiting lists

or other restrictions if you feel the need to see them or work with them again. If they are

in private practice they may be better able to offer flexibility, but the cost may be higher.

Do you have benefit coverage for therapy?

Does your benefit plan cover only certain practitioners ex. Psychotherapist, Social Worker?

How many sessions would be covered per year based on their fees? Can you pay out of pocket after your benefits are exhausted?

Therapy is an incredible process to open up and work with a trusted professional to heal

trauma and related concerns. With the right therapist to hold space for you it can be

beneficial and even change your life and heal from trauma. That is why it is so important to find the right therapist for you.

Where to look? Try online, your doctor, a trusted friend/family member.

Get Inspired to Change You Life.

Lisa S.

If you are ready to get support, book an appointment with one of our therapists today:

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