CHOOSING A PRACTITIONER
“No method – talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Ecstasy, or anything else – will work if the client does not feel safe with the practitioner. In many ways the safety IS the treatment, because feeling secure, discussing things that were previously unspeakable is a corrective experience in itself.”
Mastin Kipp, “Beyond Trauma,” Oprah Magazine, September 2020
Choosing a wellness practitioner is a little different than choosing a traditional doctor. There are no insurance company listings for these holistic practices. However, they can be a valuable part of your health care team.
Many of these practices complement traditional forms of treatment. The practitioner who effectively treats you may not have initials after their name, for example, shamans have been around for centuries, much longer than the American Psychiatric Association.
Are they trauma-informed?
For a practitioner or health provider to be trauma-informed means that they have done training around what working with trauma survivors entails. The last thing you want is to work with someone who could innocently and inadvertently re-traumatize you.
You will have to do your research.
Choose someone you feel comfortable and safe with. Someone you feel you can really open up to and resonate with. If a friend or family member has had a positive healing experience, ask them for a referral. A phone consultation is highly recommended, before making this very important decision. When considering a potential practitioner, ask for a free consultation to find out more about their modality to help you decide if they are the right fit for you.
Questions to ask practitioners:
- Do you have experience working with people who have experienced trauma?
- How long have you been practicing?
- What makes you qualified to provide this service?
- What results have your clients/students experienced?
- What does a typical session look like?
- What is your general approach to healing?
- How will I know if the treatment is working?
NOTE: Although most of these types of treatments are not covered by insurance, it never hurts to ask your health care provider. As some practitioners of non-traditional healing modalities might be able to bill for the visit or a partial visit if it is in conjunction with other traditional therapies, such as physical therapy, chiropractic, or acupuncture.
