Finding A Trauma Therapist
Experiencing abuse and other trauma in the Church creates a deep wound. Each person determines their best path toward incorporating this trauma into their understanding of themselves, the world around them, God, and how all of these connect. For many, the best path includes the use of a professional licensed mental health therapist. GRACE receives a number of emails every month asking if we either provide therapy or can refer to a therapist. While we don’t provide therapy, we often share ideas about how to find a therapist who could be a good fit.
It is good to remember that you get to screen therapists you are considering. You can decide if they are a good fit or if they have the skills you feel you need. You can disagree with your therapist. While this is not an exhaustive list of strategies for finding a good therapist, it can be a good place to start.
First, you may want to determine if there are specific characteristics about the therapist that are important or essential. This may include gender, age, therapeutic approach, faith background/experience, cultural background/experience, location, in-person/remote, or other factors. Some of these may be preferences, but not absolute requirements for you; some may be absolute requirements for you. Once you have identified these, let any therapist you are considering know that these things are important to you. It may take longer to find a therapist,* but screening possible therapists makes it more likely to find one who is equipped to walk with you on this journey.
Once you have an understanding of some of those characteristics, it is important to ask yourself why you are considering therapy. If it is for a need such as the way trauma is affecting you, you want to make sure the therapist is skilled with that need. Almost every therapist has worked with trauma at some point, so the best option is a therapist that specializes in trauma, not one who has just worked with trauma. In the absence of that specialty, the therapist may not have the specialized skills to meet your needs.
Often, a person is seeking help for a specific type of trauma, such as sexual assault, faith-related abuse, or some other specific type of trauma. If the therapist also has a specialty or experience with some of the specific elements of this trauma, that is ideal, but not always possible. As you seek a therapist that specializes in trauma or a specific type of trauma, you may ask questions such as:
What percentage of your clients are dealing with trauma?
What type of therapy do you do, and has it been shown effective specifically for trauma? Do you have any specialized certifications?
How do you think trauma impacts a person and their mental health?
Do you have any articles or other resources you would recommend about trauma?
What kinds of trauma do you work with?
Have you worked much with (a specific type of trauma)?
How would you do therapy with someone like me?
As you seek and eventually see a therapist, it is important to remember that you have a lot of expertise and wisdom. A big part of therapy is helping a person discover some of the things that they already know. One of the reasons that this is important is that it highlights the central role that you have in the therapeutic process. A therapist should be open to your input, open to your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with how things are going, and other impressions you have about them and therapy. They should welcome your wisdom. Part of their job is also to challenge potentially inaccurate thinking or possibly unhealthy patterns, so a good therapist finds the balance that allows them to challenge these while also honoring your wisdom, knowledge, and life experience.
A therapist who works with trauma needs to understand trauma-informed practice. Many therapists and organizations say they are trauma-informed without actually defining what that is. Key principles that the therapist should keep in mind as they provide therapy are 1) safety; 2) trustworthiness and transparency; 3) peer support; 4) collaboration and mutuality; 5) empowerment, voice, and choice; 6) historical, cultural, and gender factors associated with trauma. It can be helpful to ask the therapist about their understanding of trauma-informed practice and how that influences the way they do therapy. You may ask questions such as:
How do you define trauma-informed practice?
What training have you had on trauma-informed practice?
Why do you think trauma-informed practice is important?
What are some things you have done to implement trauma-informed practices?
What are your thoughts on (the six principles listed above)?
These tips are a good place to start when seeking a qualified trauma therapist. You can find additional guidance, including finding a therapist for complex PTSD, from the CPTSD foundation at https://cptsdfoundation.org/2020/08/17/how-to-find-the-therapist-that-is-right-for-you/.
* If the need for therapy is urgent, such as when a person is considering harming themselves or others, you can ask a therapist to see you until you find one that better meets your needs. They may even be able to help you find that therapist.