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Getting Help Articles

Getting Help In Your Neighborhood

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.


In the search for a counselor to address psychological and behavioral issues, people often reach out to me for referrals, seeking help from various parts of the country or even across the globe. While I may not have specific contacts for recommendations, resources are available to assist you in finding an appropriate outpatient counselor or therapist, regardless of your location.


While numerous online therapist referral sites exist, I advise caution.  Some sites get your attention with helping you find the "right" counselor, when in fact, they are the counseling service,  providing the names of their contracted counselors. Your choices are limited from there.  Identifying the type of therapist most appropriate for your particular issues is the key to maximizing the benefits of a therapist finder service.

Consider the following factors:


Session Type: Determine whether you require individual, family, marital, or group sessions.
Primary Issues: Identify the key concerns, such as marital problems, mental health, addiction, or a combination of issues.


Qualifications: Consider the qualifications of therapists based on your needs (e.g., psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed addiction counselors, or licensed marriage and family therapists).  For example, if dealing with addiction in marriage, seek a professional licensed as both a marriage and family therapist and an alcohol/drug counselor.


Once you've clarified your needs, follow these steps to utilize a therapist referral service:
Visit a reputable referral service, such as Psychology Today's website.
Click on "find a therapist" or a similar option.
Search for professionals in your location.
Look for credentials matching your requirements, including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed alcoholism/drug counselors.  Do they treat your age group? What do they specialize in?  Keep looking until you find a good match.


Additionally, consider seeking referrals through personal and professional resources/connections:

 

  • Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations.

  • Inquire at church or work for therapist suggestions.

 

  • Consult group members for insights if you use a 12-step support group like AA, NA, or Al-Anon.

 

  • Visit licensing board websites to find professionals based on your location.

 

  • Explore your potential choices’ websites to determine whether you may be compatible.  


Once you've gathered names and contact information, reach out to potential counselors. Ask questions about their services, including specialties, costs, accepted insurance, and the recommended session frequency based on your specific issues.

Finding the right outpatient counselor is a crucial step toward addressing your specific issues and challenges
, and utilizing these methods can help you make informed decisions.

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Exploring the Benefits of Non-12-Step Recovery Paths

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.

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The Top Ten Reasons for Following Through with Continuing Care

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.

Many people seeking recovery prefer an approach that doesn't involve religion or spirituality. Traditional twelve-step groups are usually based on spiritual principles that do not resonate with everyone. The good news is that there are non-religious, non-spiritual alternatives that actively promote and support recovery.


There are non-12-step groups that are not based on a belief in a higher power and others that eschew "spirituality" for "religion." Secular approaches are more accessible to individuals not attracted to a religious or spiritual perspective. These groups prioritize inclusivity, recognizing and respecting diverse beliefs and backgrounds. The emphasis here is on personal responsibility, fostering self-empowerment, and autonomy.


Many of these groups draw on well-established therapeutic techniques for recovery. Some even set goals that are not based on abstinence, embracing concepts like moderation management. Like traditional twelve-step groups (i.e., AA, NA, Al-Anon), non-12-step groups provide a crucial support system, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.

 

Non-12-step groups may cater to specific needs and preferences. There are specialized groups like Caduceus meetings, Nurses Helping Nurses, Pharmacists Helping Pharmacists, and local support groups tailored to particular illnesses (e.g., Bipolar Support Group.) Like their traditional counterparts, non-12-step groups adapt to contemporary demands, offering various formats such as online sessions, in-person meetings, and discussion-based gatherings.


Non-12-step groups offer valuable support and recovery solutions for those seeking alternatives to spirituality-based programs. They assist with recovery practices, encourage personal responsibility, champion inclusivity, and empower individuals on their unique recovery journeys.

Finding the Perfect Couples Therapist: Factors to Consider

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.

Sometimes it takes more effort than you would expect to find the perfect marriage counselor for your needs.  A marriage counselor is someone who is specifically trained in counseling couples.  A qualified marriage professional is licensed or certified as a counselor, indicating a demonstrated level of competence.

The best marriage counselor understands system dynamics, stages that marriages go through, problematic behavioral interactions, and how to interrupt those patterns.  They should have a background in clinical psychology.  Marriage counselors should not take it upon themselves to decide whether a couple should stay together or split up.  The decision on whether to divorce should always be the couple’s.

The best marriage counselor for a particular couple would also have in-depth knowledge and experience in working with specific issues that the couple is dealing with (i.e., infidelity, addiction, the death of a child, etc.).  When dealing with addiction in the family, the best therapist would also be a licensed or certified alcoholism/drug addiction counselor.  There are many things unique to family systems with addiction that therapists without such a knowledge base would not understand.  The best marriage and addiction counselor would have experience working with individuals in addiction recovery and family members in recovery.  They would have had experience working with addicted families at the onset of recovery to long-term sobriety and dealing with addiction in the subsequent generation(s).


Similarly, if your marital problems center around family business issues, your best marriage counselor would have in-depth knowledge about family businesses and years of experience working with couples in family businesses.  Or if you lost a child, a marriage counselor specializing in grief treatment may be your best therapist.  The number one predictor of treatment outcome is, as it has always been, the relationship with the therapist.  Starting your journey with the reassurance that your therapist understands what you are talking about and knows how to help you solve the problems in your relationship gives you a head start in couples counseling.  

The next step is to go in with an open mind.  Often couples come to the first session armed with complaints about the other spouse.  Each partner usually feels compelled to make a case to the counselor about their spouse being "the problem ."  Although initially, both partners seem to expect the counselor to straighten out the spouse, the best marital counseling can quickly guide the couple into cooperative efforts for the benefit of the relationship.  Therapeutic marriage counseling offers a block of opportunities.  It involves a safe environment for identifying and communicating what is bothering you and provides guidance, direction, and support for working through pain and resentments.  It provides a vehicle for learning and practicing new communication and problem-solving skills.  Still, it also creates enough of a shift in perspectives to see the "positives" in your spouse and your relationship.

Good marriage counseling can offer an opportunity to work through unresolved emotional baggage from previous relationships (including the family of origin) and learn and practice new intimacy skills.  It creates a chance to learn how to prioritize the important while letting go of the unimportant, establish goals and practice working together as a team, and make the most of today together.

Taking full advantage of these opportunities means working hard to move quickly through the blaming stage and into collaborative problem-solving.  It means not punishing each other for risking in sessions, letting go of the need to be right or maintain the upper hand, and maintaining your perspective about your goals for counseling.  It also means keeping your appointments, doing homework (and not waiting until the night before your next session), and practicing your newly acquired skills between sessions.

In summary, finding the best marriage counselor requires effort in identifying the right professional with specialized knowledge and experience in dealing with specific issues relevant to couples' needs.  The relationship between the therapist and the couple is critical in determining the success of the treatment outcome.  Spouses must approach counseling with an open mind, leave behind the blaming game, and commit to working collaboratively, setting goals, and practicing newly acquired skills between sessions. The right marriage counseling can provide a safe environment to work through emotional baggage and optimize relationship dynamics to foster mutual support and fulfillment.
 

The majority of people who complete inpatient treatment and aspire to maintain sobriety often relapse within the first year of recovery, usually within the first 30 days. It's evident to those who've undergone inpatient treatment that a significant portion of their inpatient peers have been through inpatient treatment before. This prevalence persists because addiction is still viewed and treated as an acute illness rather than the chronic condition it truly is. Chronic diseases necessitate ongoing monitoring, intermittent intensive treatment episodes, and often educational interventions aimed at altering one's lifestyle to promote, rather than hinder, long-term recovery. 

Continuing care has long been associated with inpatient treatment and is considered "aftercare." However, the shift in viewing substance use disorder (i.e., addiction) as a chronic, relapsing illness, represents a crucial step toward shifting perspectives on addiction and recovery.

 

Continuing care constitutes an integral component of addiction treatment services, encompassing post-acute treatment options like intensive outpatient programs, halfway houses, sober living homes, or weekly outpatient counseling sessions conducted in individual or group settings.

Continuing care, like diabetes treatment, typically lacks a defined endpoint. It may, however, involve participation in a formal aftercare group with a predetermined duration, such as one year.

 

Continuing care aids individuals in developing and refining the life skills necessary to sustain recovery throughout their lifetime. Continuing care may involve multiple outpatient treatment and care episodes as difficulties and challenges require professional assistance. Commonly, people with a number of years of continuous sobriety find themselves in need of help to deal with addiction in their children, divorce, retirement, and other life challenges. Recovering people often seek additional relapse prevention counseling when times get tough. Continuing care is crucial in early recovery, and it has many benefits over the lifetime of a recovering person.

 

Here are the top ten ways in which continuing care supports individuals in achieving and maintaining lasting recovery in early recovery:

  1. Patients transitioning from acute inpatient treatment to continuing care immediately afterward are better equipped to handle the transition from the sheltered inpatient environment to the realities of daily life, reducing the risk of succumbing to the "pink cloud" syndrome.

  2. Continuing care provides insights into what to anticipate during early recovery, including the common emotional fluctuations.

  3. Ongoing services offer monitoring and accountability, ensuring patients consistently undertake the necessary actions for recovery daily, weekly, and monthly.

  4. Continuing care counselors offer feedback and guidance for coping with triggers as they arise, as well as advice on seemingly minor decisions that could precipitate relapse.

  5. Continuing care counselors possess knowledge of 12-step group dynamics and common interpersonal challenges, addressing potential stumbling blocks to ongoing recovery and encouraging sustained engagement in 12-step groups.

  6. Continuing care aids patients in making behavioral, emotional, and lifestyle changes conducive to long-term recovery. Ongoing shaping and reinforcing these changes are vital for lasting benefits.

  7. Patients maintaining involvement in ongoing treatment services are significantly less likely to experience relapse during their participation.

  8. Those who experience relapse but remain engaged in continuing care counseling tend to have briefer, less detrimental relapse episodes.

  9. Individuals who relapse are more inclined to re-engage with twelve-step programs and resume their journey toward sustained recovery.

  10. Participation in relationship counseling with a professional who comprehends addiction and recovery dynamics within individual and family contexts reduces the likelihood of divorce during early recovery.

Note: This article has been revised and edited from its original version, which was previously published in 2010 on this site. The content has been updated for contemporary language, clarity and accuracy.

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Getting Help Articles

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.

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