Which kind of therapist?
Deciding to work with a professional on personal matters is a positive step worthy of a round of applause and a great big cheer; well done for coming this far. The next steps you face are to choose the right kind of therapist to see, and then to decide on which person to choose. Taking an active role in this process by investing time to learn the ropes can be empowering and therapeutic.
However, if you aren't up to the effort this involves, it is entirely acceptable to ask your regular family doctor or clinic to refer you to someone that they trust. This is preferable to asking friends for recommendations because starting to see someone who is or has seen someone close to you can get complicated. For example, the person you know may decide to start seeing your therapist again, possibly about something that involves you. This article introduces six kinds of mental health professional. There are many others, and if you are interested, you can find a list of their definitions here. These are the six most established.