Not all therapists are good. Not all therapists have the advanced training necessary to help you as an individual or as a couple. Not all therapists have your best interests in mind. 

If you are contemplating divorce, want to work on past trauma, or work on your relationship, you need a good therapist to guide you. So, how do you find a good therapist? That's the topic of this week's episode. 

If you're a member of my Facebook group, then Katie's name is probably familiar to you. She's a member of the group, is an incredible asset and I am so grateful to have her voice there, as well as in this podcast episode. 

"Going into therapy with the wrong person is not going to help you," says Katie. My loves, this is so true. But choosing the right one most certainly will. 

 Show Highlights

• The many layers of how to go about picking a therapist (6:08)
• Tips for researching your therapist options including how to research finding a good couples therapist (16:29)
• EFT: Emotionally Focused Therapy takes the understanding of attachment theory and applies it to how we come together and fall apart in our relationships (18:02)
• Everybody has dysfunction and we all can choose to (or not to) deal with it. The more we put work into healing our attachment injuries the more value we are going to get from our relationships (21:30)
• Schema therapy - what it is and how it helps change your relational behavioral patterns (19:46)
• In looking for a couple's therapist, you should be looking for someone who has experience in several advanced therapies (27:00)
• Who should NOT be in couple's therapy:  active abuse or addiction by someone who is not willing to address and work through it (27:55)
• When therapists act in dual roles (individually and as a couple's therapist) (28:09)
• Trust your gut! If you don't feel like a therapist is the right fit for you, they're probably not. (33:36)
• Trauma bonds: the theory of trauma bonding and  how they can lead you to repeat old abusive habits (38:15)

Learn More About Katie:

Katie Thompson LPC, CEDS is a psychotherapist in private practice in St. Louis, Missouri. Katie specializes in treating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD and complex trauma and has a special interest in treating binge eating disorder. 

She is skilled in implementing DBT, CBT, IFS, ERP, EMDR, EFT and group therapy. Katie is trained in EMDR, Exposure, and Response Prevention (ERP) and has earned her certification in Internal Family Systems, Level 2. In private practice, Katie balances individual, family, couples and group therapy with supervising provisionally licensed therapists. Katie is also a current member and the past Board President of the Missouri Eating Disorders Association (MOEDA) Board of Directors and is a past member of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) board of directors. Katie can be seen in local media appearances and lecturing regionally and nationally in her areas of specialty.  

Katie is married and has a daughter, a bonus daughter, and a bonus son.  She has been a part of her blended family since 2011 and is familiar with the complexities that come with living in a blended family as a spouse, bio parent and step-parent.  Katie specializes in clinical intervention within blended family systems in her specific areas of expertise.  

Resources & Links:

Katie's website

Katie on Facebook

The Gottman Institute 

The Seven  Principles Making Marriage Work 

Trauma Bond Experts:

Patrick Carnes

Dr. Christine Courtois

Peter Levine

Understanding Attachment Styles

Trauma Bonds

The Ultimate Divorce Survival Guide

Should I Stay or Should I Go Facebook Group