Therapy is very commonly thought of as place or a person that you go to only if you are “crazy”. Not so.  

Therapy is a safe place to talk about you. You matter. You have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that have been difficult to manage. Therapy helps you not only understand what has happened to you, it helps you figure out how to manage and cope with difficulties in relationships and in your past experiences. It’s an investment in you.

Therapists are people who have specialized training in different areas of medical, behavioral, and mental health treatment. Navigating through the different types can be very confusing and overwhelming. This is a partial list of the types of therapists that you can see. 

When working together, several therapists can help you form a “treatment team”. This is a common way of therapists coming together and working for your very best recovery. These different professional types can fall into the following categories:

A Medical Doctor is responsible for managing the overall impact of trauma on your physical body. Many times people do not recognize the impact that trauma has on us physically. It is extremely important to make sure that you are physically healthy in addition to mentally healthy when thinking about your recovery.  

A psychiatrist is a Medical Doctor with a specialization in psychiatric issues. Psychiatric support starts with an evaluation of how you are doing presently. This can include pencil and paper tests as well as verbal questions and answers. They can also perform genetic testing to determine what types of medication can be tolerated in your body. Different types of medication can help with emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma-related problems, just to name a few. They will help provide you with the level of support that you need to be safe and healthy.

A psychiatric nurse-practitioner can also provide the same services listed above, but works under the direction of a psychiatrist. A Nurse Practitioner may be easier to get an appointment with and/or may be less expensive to see.

A Psychologist holds a Doctorate in Psychology. They do not prescribe medication. Instead, they can do evaluations that may include pencil and paper testing as well as intellectual, cognitive, memory, developmental, and other types of testing. They also do “talk therapy” and help you to resolve issues related to emotional, mental, behavioral, relational, or other ~al stressors. 

An individual therapist provides therapy in a one-on-one setting with the person who is struggling with issues related to trauma. A Doctoral-level practitioner (psychologist) or a Masters-level practitioner (Social work, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist) can provide individual therapy. There are different certifications that therapists can obtain, listed below, that are specific to helping you heal from a trauma-based issue. The following are examples of such trauma-based certifications, but are  not required to get “good” therapy or a “good” therapist:

Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
Certified Trauma Services Specialist (CTSS)
Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist (CTTS)
Certified Expert Trauma Professional (CETP)
Certified Trauma Professional – Clinical (“CTP-C”)

A family therapist works with the family – this can be different members of the family at different times or the whole family simultaneously. A family therapist can have a Doctoral or Master’s-level degree, as specified under Individual Therapist (above).Family therapy is a necessary part of the therapeutic process if you have other loved ones with whom you live or who are part of your support group. This is one of the most effective forms of therapy for any type of issue. The following are certifications in family therapy with a trauma focus:

Certified Trauma Specialist – Family (CCTSF)
Certified Family Trauma Professional

Group therapy involves talking or teaching two or more individuals who are not related but have the same or similar issues in the same time frame. This can be very scary initially, but over time, usually group members come to really appreciate and lean on one another during the therapeutic time. 

Support groups are just that, support. There are usually leaders that will run and moderate the group, but this individual is typically not a licensed professional, but rather is someone that has gone through the process or a similar issue and can lead the group. There is usually not a cost associated for the group (if there is a cost, it may be for materials). These groups are often run after hours and on the weekend at a neutral location. Support groups may have a structured process or may be open to just talking.