Choosing the right doctor and/or therapist for your mental
health needs might seem like a daunting task. Determining the
appropriate type of doctor for your specific needs is a very
important step toward getting the right treatment. Following are
some suggestions for beginning your search:
- Talk to trusted friends, family, or clergy about professionals
they might have seen.
- Ask another health care provider for a recommendation.
- Ask your health insurance company for a provider list.
- Use a referral service from a national professional
organization for therapists or doctors.
- Call a local or national medical society or mental health
organization.
- Look in the phone book under categories including social
service organizations and counselors.
Prior to scheduling your first appointment, think about the
things you would like to know about your potential new doctor
and/or therapist. Finding the right mental health professional is
important to effective treatment. Things you might want to ask
about include:
- His or her education, licensure, and years in practice
- Fees, lengths of sessions, insurance coverage, and office
hours
- His or her treatment approach and philosophy
- His or her specialization by age group or particular
disorder
Some of the health care professionals who might help address
your mental health needs include:
Primary care doctors--In many cases, the primary
care doctor is the first contact for health care. Primary care
doctors can be family practitioners, general practitioners, or
pediatricians. These doctors can prescribe medicines and treat most
general medical disorders. When necessary, a primary care doctor
will refer patients to a specialist.
Holistic and alternative medicine doctors--These
doctors are specialists in complementary and alternative medicines,
holistic medicine, nutritional medicine, and herbal medicine
treatments. These doctors might be able to prescribe standard
medicines but often choose different approaches that might combine
natural medicines with mental health therapies such as cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT). After these doctors determine appropriate
wellness plans or treatments, they might refer patients to mental
health therapists such as life coaches, psychologists, or
psychoanalysts.
Psychologists--Psychologists are trained to provide
professional counseling on psychological and emotional issues. They
can specialize in areas such as marital counseling, relaxation
therapy, stress management, or sex therapy. Psychologists are not
allowed to prescribe medicines.
Psychoanalysts--Psychoanalysts follow Sigmund
Freud's theories that painful childhood memories contained in the
subconscious are the cause of emotional disturbances.
Psychoanalysts are similar to psychologists because they usually
deal with emotional issues and might--but generally do
not-- prescribe medicine
Psychoanalytic therapy relies on the principle of transference,
that is a pattern of both conscious and unconscious feelings and
thoughts about the analyst that reflect similar feelings and
thoughts about other important figures in the patient's life
(such as parents). The goal of the treatment is to make the
unconscious conscious so that the patient can begin to recognize
maladaptive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are no
longer relevant to their current life circumstances. While
psychotherapy is usually performed on a weekly to monthly schedule,
psychoanalytic sessions are conducted four to five times a
week.
Psychiatrists--These professionals specialize in the
treatment of mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. A
psychiatrist can prescribe medicines and might establish therapy
sessions to treat the patient.