Where to Start: How to Find the Right Therapist for CPTSD
- joannawucounseling
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 7
If you are reading this article, it is telling me that you have done a lot of work so far and you are ready for the next move!
You can look for a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or a Clinical Psychologist for the therapeutic work. There are different credentials in different states (if you are in the USA); the acronyms might be like: LMHC, LPC, LICSW, LMFT, etc. If you are on another continent, you might need to search what the licenses are for psychotherapy. Someone who is licensed means that person receives a wide range of psychotherapy modalities, knows the symptoms and diagnoses, how to manage different situations, and has done work on their own.
If you have not received any professional care before, I encourage you to connect with a therapist who provides “trauma-informed” services. That means the therapist would have the knowledge and experience to support you and the ability to connect what happened to you with your symptoms or struggles. There are several ways to find that therapist who could be a good fit for you. If you are in school or work in an organization, company, or institution, there might be collaborative mental health services/EAP available through your institution. When you reach out, specify that you are looking for trauma-informed care and share some of the struggles you have. That will help the platform match you with a therapist.
There are many platforms for licensed clinicians where you can find a therapist who might be a good fit. Set the filter settings to match what you are looking for: Do you need in-person service or telehealth service? Do you have insurance or can you do self-pay? What gender/language/ethnicity of therapist are you looking for? And again, in the filter setting, click anything that applies to you, maybe “attachment trauma”, complex trauma”, “anxiety”, “depression,” etc. You are in North America; here are platforms you can use to find a licensed clinician.
If you have already had experiences in therapy and feel “something is missing”:
I hear you, and I am here for you. Here are several of the things you can look into:
If you are receiving CBT-based talk therapy, you can try to switch to a trauma-informed therapist. If you are seeing a trauma therapist but feel stuck, there might be a few things to look into: First of all, therapeutic relationships matter! You might find the right therapeutic approach, but the interpersonal connection in session doesn't feel right. Well, I always tell my clients that finding a therapist is like finding a future partner or spouse. Trust your gut feeling. It’s okay to voice up in session. Sometimes it’s not about you, and it’s not about your therapist; it’s the “vibe” or the energy that doesn’t match. If so, have a conversation with your therapist to see if that is a moment you can work through it, or see if your therapist can provide a referral for you.
If you have seen a therapist (s) before, done lots of personal work, and know it’s time to do deeper work to CPTD, trust me, there is plenty of help out there. Finding the right therapist for CPTSD is the first step. I will also pray for myself to have the time and financial resources so I can share information about holistic care emotionally, mentally, relationally, physically, and spiritually for CPTSD on DeeplyEtched.com. There are many alternative therapies/modalities you can do to support your lifetime integration and post-CPTSD growth.
Now, where to find a trauma therapist that is more than a trauma therapist and can support your post-CPTSD journey? Trust your gut feeling is the key; knowing what you need is the way.
If you have experience in EMDR but feel disconnected? Then find a therapist who has experience in attachment trauma or attachment-EMDR.
Otherwise, here is a list of modalities that will be great for CPTSD treatment. Keep this in mind: No matter what modalities the therapist is trained in, eventually, finding the right therapist who can attune with you for long-term care (and financial affordability) is more important than anything else.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
For complex PTSD, instead of finding an EMDR therapist, find an EMDR therapist who is experienced in attachment trauma and relational trauma. Here is the EMDR International Association Directory with the trained EMDR therapists worldwide.
Internal Family System Therapy (IFS)
IFS by itself is a powerful modality. Finding a licensed clinician trained formally in IFS will be really helpful, providing the space and professional skills to support you. Here is the IFS Institute directory with the licensed clinicians who are fully trained in IFS globally.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a very delicate approach that brings in five core organizers of how trauma is stored in our mind and body in thoughts, emotions, sensory experiences, body sensations, and body movement, and integrates them. I will say that most of the SP-trained therapists who choose to spend time and money investing in this approach have had experiences of the limitations of not integrating a somatic approach to psychotherapy. Here is the directory of the SP Institute where you can find fully trained SP therapists globally:
On top of the directories listed above, there are other wonderful modalities for trauma treatment, like Somatic Experiencing and AEDP Psychotherapy.
You can find a well-trained therapist who specializes in trauma therapy from all the modalities directories I provided above. It might be harder to connect with a therapist who sees you, reads you, and understands you beyond the Complex PTSD symptoms. Again, trust your gut feeling; as long as you are ready to do the work, the universe (God, higher power) will open the door and pave the way for the right direction. Just exactly like how you found me and read all the way to this sentence. Good luck, and I wish you all the best from this moment and beyond!