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I've worked in a variety of office support positions in the mental health field - at a rehab facility for kids with drug and alcohol addictions, at a domestic violence intervention center, at a counseling center for children and families - and being given an insider's view of mental health professionals has definitely left me with the understanding that not all therapists are created equal!
In a different post in these forums, someone commented that they thought that lining up a good trauma therapist from the get-go is a smart thing to do when adopting kids from foster care. So my question is: How do you find the good ones? Is there a particular therapeutic orientation to look for? Do you interview potential therapists? What questions would you ask?
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I think interviewing a therapist before you send the child in is an absolute must. You need to ask them their policy on privacy, their viewpoint on issues that are important to you, etc.
It's also important to note that the type of therapist that works for one child might not be the best fit for another. Everyone experiences things so differently, so naturally, we need someone who will help us process experiences in a way that works for us.
Just like all doctors are not equal, neither are therapists. I check reviews on basically any service I seek these days, which might not always be fair, but it give me peace when I know that other people have had a good enough experience to talk about it. I also rely quite heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations. I've found the best doctors and other service that way. When it comes to choosing a therapist you have to look carefully at their qualifications and what types of things they treat and have treated. I love that Annaleece recommends interviewing. I think a consultation is necessary when you're dealing with things as personal as therapy.
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I didn't realize there were trauma therapists until after I adopted and went this site. But my 2 youngest had so much trauma that I just started looking for trauma therapists. In NY, kids in foster care are put into therapy but it's talk therapy. The therapist for my 3rd oldest happened to utilize EMDR, which is a type of trauma therapy. For my youngest, I found an EMDR therapist who was quite knowledgeable about the brain and trauma. It was out of pocket but so worth the money. But to answer your question: ask questions. Good luck!
I've heard a little about EMDR. A few of my co-worker therapists were certified in it. It sounded a little weird to me, but it's something I'll have to look into a little more. I've heard more than one adoptive parent remark on the effectiveness of the approach.
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