Looking for a therapist

I am having a difficult time finding a therapist that deals with trauma, and the things I have been experiencing. Most of the Psychiatrists in my area do not accept my insurance, if they do they are "faith based". I can go to the local Mental Health Clinic, I have heard horror stories that they just chalk everyone up to being Bi Polar. I am not Bi Polar. If I go in saying that I believe I am dissociating and I hear conversations in my head, are they going to chalk it up to Schizophrenia? I am not paranoid, I do not see or hear things with my ears, I don't believe the Government is after me. I need someone to really listen to me. I contacted our local NAMI to get a list of Dr.'s and Therapists in my area. They have their specialty listed with the insurance that they accept. Not any ONE of them state that they specialize in Dissociative issues. I am not sure what to do now.

Perhaps this will help: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/t...south-carolina

I can understand your trepidation. To make matters worse, many faith based counselors (particularly in the Bible belt) would sooner chalk it up to possession than dissociation.

We have something similar here. Recently I took a very informal poll/structured interview lol, asking twelve men and twelve women who go there for counseling, what they get out of their therapy. Every single person, all twenty-four, said a free bus pass. At $60/month for a pass and all I spoke to receiving state general assistance ($197/m) or social security (@$700/m) and live on the streets, $60 is a big deal to commit to four hours a week - and they usually cancel one of them so it's only three hours a week.

I sit in the lobby sometimes and watch the entry level counselors come out and literally cower sometimes because they are afraid of their clients. Some twenty-two year old fresh out of college is going in a closed room alone with some alcoholic paranoid schizophrenic who has been living on the streets since he got back from the Vietnam War...it's sad to watch. Like we aren't hyper-sesitive to people putting up walls between us living on the streets - and you think this person is going to open up to you?!

Anyway, you could get lucky but I'm with you on this one.

Good luck with that. I'm not being negative here, I do mean good luck, but yeah, there is also that element of getting lucky. Most therapists are drawn to the field because of their own issues. Some work their own issues out and become invaluable and life-saving members of the psychiatric community, and the others inadvertently hurt people. Finding someone that can really listen, that can be challenging - but it can be done.

I would recommend this though: if your first impression is that this person won't be able to help you whether it's because you're simply a bad fit or because they refuse to listen, don't waste time. You may be reluctant to fire them because there are so few options in your area that take your insurance, but it's sort of like a relationship for me, I'd rather be alone than be with the wrong person. If it's a bad fit, you'll leave eventually and you'll wish you hadn't wasted so much time when you do.

That was a good idea. Look, you're unlikely to get specialized listings for dissociative disorders - what you'll find instead is trauma counselors or PTSD, particularly complex PTSD counselors. If they're dealing with trauma and PTSD, they experience in dissociative disorders, though perhaps not all of them with DID.

Thanks, That being the exact reason that I will not seek faith based counseling/Dr. I have already been told by my former Pastor that I was Demon Possessed. I left the Church after that. I am 45 and JUST NOW coming to terms what is happening. We have hid and done our best to "fit in or appear normal". At times it's difficult to accept. I did see some Counselors who work with Complex PTSD. I will try that route.

Does your insurance provide out of network benefits?
I pay for my therapist out of pocket and then submit forms to insurance for reimbursement of some of that money.

Unfortunately, No. My spouse works a full time job, we are raising our 2 youngest grandchildren, money is tight. The Bio parents pay child support once in a blue moon. Our Grandson is autistic so we are swamped with appointments for him . Trying to figure out when I am going to have time for therapy for myself. I am beyond stressed.

Here in my very urban town I had no problems getting the DID PTSD dx's and I explained how my agent alters are out to get me if I don't go to their preference and watch Criminal Minds while they dialouge to one another.

Dlantern, how do/Did the dr. decide it was DID rather than Schizophrenia?

Would you be able to call the therapists and directly ask them about their knowledge of and experience with DID? From a conversation you should be able to gauge if they can help you or not.

Asked my new pdoc if he believes in DID- he then laughed at me. This was at our first 15 minutes of meeting each other. He soon was fired.

Fired not 'set on fire' right? Cause we could make an argument for both.

@beyes2018
It is not comforting at all, isn't always safe, but you have to complain about sex and sexual abuse/abusive relationships.

lolol - I did not see this till right now...I didn't write this. Yeah, we got some real comedians living in our head. Was crying in our therapists office the other day and a female alter spoke up, "Hey, hey, hey, you're going to make my make-up run!" and I laughed out loud while crying. (There is no make-up in our life, she was just trying to be supportive by breaking the tension)