1 of 24

Write now Article Tools

Finding a therapist for any reason can be a little tricky. Knowing who you need to see about surviving abuse is important. Taking some time to do some research will reduce the stress you are already experiencing and can cut down the amount of time you might waste trying to get a referral. If you are just out of an abusive relationship you are under stress by reason of living outside the tiny little box of pain you inhabited for however long. Adjusting to a new environment is always stressful; learning to talk to others in general and figuring out how to get on with your new life can be very stressful.

For the interim you would do well to consider working with a therapist who provides short-term therapy. This person can address all your stressors including any emergent PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is almost a given for survivors of abuse; how able the survivor is to cope and function with PTSD is important on the recovery effort. Short-term therapy is just as compassionate and deep as other forms of therapy; it simply doesn't procrastinate about getting to the "make it all better" part. Many therapists who provide short-term therapy are Adlerian in their approach which is a good source of support for the abuse survivor.

Once you get stabilized and settled into your new life you can then make a determination about more short-term therapy to address relationship issues or you can consider the long term approach which most people identify with today. If you decide to go for a more traditional approach you then need to consider your therapist based on their approach to therapy. Many style of therapy are named after the originators of the style, Freud being the most notable, who was trumped by Jung in modern times. Other types of therapy are harder to recognize and don't give much of a clue as to their origins or the type of therapy provided. Gestalt is one that is in this category and is probably not as popular today as it was several decades ago. Behavior therapy is still just that, although today's therapists take a far different approach than their predecessors.

For the abuse survivor one therapy which is generally a good place to start is Reality Therapy. This approach doesn't sugar coat your world and doesn't really care about what caused you to affiliate yourself with an abusive partner. Those deep and murky thought processes are generally considered to be a lame excuse unless the person with those thoughts is a true psychotic. Any good therapist will

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about An abuse survivor's guide to finding a therapist ?
We want to hear your view. Write now!