PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Find a Therapist

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Good treatments for PTSD are available. Here are some suggestions for finding a therapist, counselor, or mental health care provider who can help your recovery.

Things to Consider

• If you are a Veteran, see Help for Veterans.
• Make sure the provider has experience treating people who have been through a trauma.
• Try to find a provider who focuses on evidence-based medications for PTSD or effective talk therapy for PTSD, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
• Find out what type(s) of insurance the provider accepts and what you will have to pay (out-of-pocket costs) for care.
• You may find more than one therapist. Learn about Types of Therapists.

First steps

• Contact your family doctor to ask for a recommendation. Or, ask friends and family if they can recommend a therapist.
• If you have health insurance, call to find out which mental health providers your insurance company will cover. Your insurance company may require that you choose a provider from among a list they maintain.

Finding a Provider Using the Internet

These resources can help you locate a therapist, counselor, or mental health provider who is right for you. Note: These resources can be used by anyone, and if you are a Veteran, see the "Help for Veterans" section below.

• Sidran Institute Help Desk will help you find therapists who specialize in trauma treatment. Email or call the Help Desk at (410) 825-8888.
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers a therapist search by location and mental health disorder. Call (240) 485-1011 or email.
• EMDR International Association has a locator that lists EMDR providers.
• ISTSS Clinician Directory is a service provided by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) that lets you consider many factors in searching for a clinician, counselor, or mental health professional.
• American Psychological Association has a Psychologist Locator that allows you to search by location, specialty, insurance accepted, and gender of provider.
• Psychology Today offers a therapist directory by location. You can also find treatment centers.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a Behavioral Health Services Locator by location and type of facility (inpatient, outpatient, residential). Call for assistance 24 hours a day 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Finding a Provider by Phone

In addition to the numbers listed above. you can also find a therapist, counselor, or mental health provider in the following ways:

• Some mental health services are listed in the phone book. In the Government pages, look in the "County Government Offices" section, and find "Health Services (Dept. of)" or "Department of Health Services." "Mental Health" or "Behavioral Health" will be listed.
• In the yellow pages, mental health providers are listed under "counseling," "psychologists," "social workers," "psychotherapists," "social and human services," "mental health" or "behavioral health."
• You can also call the psychology department of a local college or university.

Help for Veterans

• All VA Medical Centers and many VA clinics provide PTSD care.
• Some VA centers have specialty programs for PTSD. Use the VA PTSD Program Locator to find a VA PTSD program.
• Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling to Veterans and their families after war. Find a Vet Center near you.
• VA Medical Centers and Vet Centers are also listed in the phone book. In the Government pages, look under "United States Government Offices." Then look for "Veterans Affairs, Dept of." In that section, look under "Medical Care" and "Vet Centers - Counseling and Guidance."
• If you are a Veteran looking for a community care provider, learn about VA's MISSION Act.
• Find more information on Help for Veterans.

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