I cannot stress enough the importance of selecting an experienced trauma therapist when seeking help for a past trauma/life event. This will be one of the most important decisions you will have to make. I have been in the mental health field for over 30 years and have devoted all my clinical efforts in the trauma area and still have much to learn about helping clients resolve their past traumatic life events. I am devoting this post to helping you find a therapist who can help you get to resolution.

Let me first be clear, all licensed therapists have achieved the competency to hang out a shingle to practice therapy. All have passed the necessary tests to reach the goal of getting a license. However, all therapists are not created equal in the areas they practice. It is no different than medical doctors who are licensed but practice in specialties. For example, if you have a heart problem, you seek a cardiologist, you do not rely solely on a general practitioner, or least, I would not. If you have a kidney problem, you seek a renal specialist. So, if you have past trauma and want to work through it, you select a trauma specialist. I think you get the message I am stressing.

That being said, not all specialty doctors or therapists are equal in their experiences, and this is where it can get dicey for you. In my trauma groups, I educate my clients on the questions they should ask the therapist before engaging their services for trauma work. I also make it clear, any therapist who gets annoyed at these questions makes your decision easy, they are not for you. I have listed below some of the questions I think you should ask when seeking a trauma therapist:

1. How long have you practiced trauma therapy?

2. Have you worked in different settings besides private practice?

3. Have you worked with severe abuse cases? (This question is for those who have severe childhood sexual or physical trauma to work through)

4. What kind of therapy do you practice if we were to agree to move forward?

These four questions will help you decide if this therapist is for you. The length of practice, though important, will depend on the second and third question. The fourth question is up to you to decide if the method they will use is acceptable for you. There are now many different approaches, but none will be effective if you are not comfortable with that therapist. You need to select someone that you feel comfortable with when asking the questions.

The goal here is for you to know the choice is yours and not to feel embarrassed to ask questions before deciding. Many of my clients have asked if I like some particular method of therapy over another. My answer is always the same, it is for you to decide what is comfortable for you. I have also learned there are many methods effective in trauma work, but that does not mean the therapist using them has enough experience.

I would be remis not to note that therapy is not always comfortable. In fact, quite the opposite. There are times when therapy evokes emotions that trigger anxiety and sometimes anger. So do not confuse feeling comfortable with a therapist with feeling calm all the time. When I say feeling comfortable with a therapist, I mean their personality or manner makes you feel safe and capable of sharing painful memories. This is where the therapist’s experience comes into play.

I consider trauma work more of an art than a science. Someone who has extensive experience will know when to push you in session and when to pull back. This technique is only achieved with extensive trauma work and its effectiveness can never be underestimated. Pushing too hard can set you back months in therapy or even worse, cause more harm than good. Not pushing enough will cause you to be comfortable and stunt the necessary growth that comes with discomfort and some anxiety, especially with past trauma. In my Resolution Focused Therapy©(RFT) I call it the “Time and Timing” of therapeutic interventions.

I hope this post helps you find a therapist who will meet your needs. Start the journey to inner peace, it is worth the investment in your future happiness!

Mind, Body, Spirit…Balance!

Vinnie Strumolo, CEO, CCO, LMFT