Friend in Madison, WI needs a great proactive therapist. Know any?

November 5, 2010 1:21 PM

Pretty straightforward. Friend in Madison, WI needs a great proactive therapist. Know any? She's in her thirties, depressed and stuck back with her parents. She's feels like she can't get her act together to escape the negative self talk of her family. CBT? Fine. Talk therapy? fine. Don't need a google based directory - Need someone you know/worked with/helped you/great friend from school etc. Preferably someone who could see her next week.
posted by Towelie to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

Do you know what her insurance will cover (if she has it)? Between the time constraint and the insurance, she might want to check out the Mental Health Center of Dane County. I have no personal experience with them, unfortunately, but I know some friends have recommended their services.

I've been with Dean for 20 years, through teen angst, divorce and everything in between. I am scheduled to begin with a new therapist next week for some CBT stuff, primarily to deal with ADD. The people who have worked best for me have retired, but I can tell her not to go to Bill Stewart or Lynn Silverman. The latter was going well in the proactive department, but in one of our last appointments she was pretty patronizing to me ("Act like an adult." And... you think this is comprehensive advice that I haven't thought of yet HOW???), and no amount of further discussion convinced me that she was really listening to what I was saying.
posted by Madamina at 1:37 PM on November 5, 2010

Response by poster: This is exactly the type of response I'm looking for! I'm not terribly worried about her insurance (or lack thereof.) I figure she can pay out of pocket for at least 3-5 sessions. Beyond that, she can work out those things - but I think she needs to talk to someone next week (not a danger to herself or others)
posted by Towelie at 2:27 PM on November 5, 2010

I'm happy to recommend my current therapist - Ruth Waters, with Uplands Counseling Associates. Her office is just off Odana Road. She's been doing CBT and talk therapy with me, helping me to work on a lot of negative self image and family crap, and so far I have no complaints. She's a good listener, suggests lots of things that I can work on to actively improve my situation and my mental state, and has put together a treatment plan which makes me honestly believe that her goal is to get me on my feet, and not to keep seeing me forever.
posted by lriG rorriM at 3:09 PM on November 5, 2010

I'm currently on the waiting list for the county Mental Health Center, but be aware that it takes quite a while to actually get in to see someone there. It sounds like time is a concern for your friend, so I wouldn't recommend going that route.

I have yet to find a therapist here that both fits my needs and fits my insurance/lack thereof. I wish your friend luck.
posted by altopower at 3:26 PM on November 5, 2010