[BBT7]

With new insurance, I'm back at square one choosing a therapist.

Do I pick:
LICSW
LMHC
Psychologist

Do I also pick a psychiatrist for less frequent visits? Currently, my physician's assistant is prescribing my Rx.

My online insurance acct doesn't get specific about people's specialties. All it says is "general behavioral health."

I've never done this in the past, but do you think I should call and ask questions about their experience with and philosophy on anxiety disorders? Are there any good websites for getting info on providers? Otherwise, I may as well put all 20 names in a hat and pull one out.

Thanks!!

[Perna]

There's lots of good online advice on how to choose a therapist; I like this one:

http://www.metanoia.org/choose/

Presumably your PA reports to a doctor; I don't know if you want to change to a psychiatrist or just keep with what you're doing there; how's it working?

The advice I'd give myself if I were looking for another therapist would be to make sure I liked her and thought we could work together. It's kind of like looking for a job and you decide what particular jobs to apply to based on your own interests and thoughts on what that job sounds like. I saw a psychologist because she had greater education than I did and I thought I might be a handful, intellectually. I actually did get in an argument one day about psychology and suddenly remembered she was the one with the doctorate, LOL! But how one responds to the person is really more important than anything else, to me.

[Maven]

The last psychiatrist I saw retired about a year after I started seeing her. I had very few choices left, so I went back to a pdoc I never thought I would. He's about the only one in the area who takes Medicare and is nearby.

How to Choose a Therapist

Distinctions Between Therapists' Degrees