Therapy Can Help in Divorce

SELECTING A THERAPIST   

There are several issues to keep in mind when selecting a therapist:

Make sure you like and feel you can trust the clinician.
If you do not like the clinician, or feel you can not trust him or her, you probably have the wrong therapist. Therapy is intended to be a meaningful and personal endeavor that requires a strong sense of trust and safety between client and therapist. If you do not like or trust the therapist, it is less likely that the experience will be a constructive one. If this is the case try someone different.

Get a second opinion.
Like you would with other health-care providers, ask the therapist what their initial clinical impression is, if they think they can help you, and how they would plan to treat you. If you don’t like something you are hearing it is a good idea to seek a second or third opinion, just as one would with any other type of health care provider.

Ask about their related training and experience.
Therapists have different areas of expertise and levels of training. It’s a good idea to make sure you are working with a therapist who is comfortable helping with a life transition like divorce. If the clinician is newer to the field, you may want to ask if they receive supervision from a more seasoned clinician.

Ask if they belong to a professional association.
While not an infallible way of assessing one’s skill as a therapist, most good therapists will be members of any local or national professional associations.
 
Talk about money.
 Make sure you understand the clinician’s fees, how they accept payment, whether they have a sliding scale based on financial resources (if needed), and their policy for missed appointments. If you are going to bill your insurance, it is also a good idea to clarify if the therapist will bill insurance directly or if you will need to pay up-front and seek reimbursement from the insurance company. Be wary of poorly defined fee policies.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A THERAPIST AND PSYCHOLOGIST                 

Therapists, including psychologists, MFTs, MFCCs, and clinical social workers, are trained to provide psychotherapy, though each field provides different amounts and types of training. They do not have medical degrees or prescribe medication. In contrast, psychiatrists have medical degrees and are primarily trained to prescribe medication and usually are not trained to provide psychotherapy. The two professions complement each other and a good therapist should be able to help you determine if consulting with a psychiatrist may be beneficial.

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Title: Psychiatrist
Degree(s): MD
Education: Medical school and a residency in psychiatry. This typically takes about 8 years.
What they do: Psychiatrists are generally trained to prescribe medications to treat the symptoms of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and psychosis.
What they don’t do: Psychiatrists usually receive minimal or no training in conducting psychotherapy. The field of psychiatry has moved away from practicing psychotherapy as medications have become more available, primarily for financial reasons. Some longer-practicing psychiatrists, who were originally trained in psychotherapy before the advent of medications, can still be found practicing. They do not conduct psychological testing.
Typical cost: Psychiatrists are the most expensive mental health practitioners. An hourly fee can run between $300 and $400.
Organization: American Psychiatric Association

Title: Psychoanalyst
Degree(s): MD, PhD, PsyD (Doctor of Psychology), or DMH (Doctor or Mental health)
Education: Medical school and psychiatry residency, or doctoral program in psychology, followed by an additional 4 – 6 years in specialized training in psychoanalysis, a specific form of psychotherapy.
What they do: Psychoanalysts provide what is traditionally envisioned when discussing Freudian psychology; lying on an analyst’s couch 3 – 5 times/week exploring the unconscious, hidden psychic conflicts, etc. This form of therapy is usually utilized to affect long-term personality and character change.
What they don’t do: Analysts typically do not prescribe medications, unless they were originally trained as an MD. Few MDs are currently being trained as analysts.
Typical cost: Analysis is typically between $125 and $200 per hour.
Organizations: American Psychoanalytic Association, American Psychological Association