How to Find a Mental Health Provider

Transitioning to an ostomy, whether via emergency or planned surgery, can be a life-altering experience that may come with a psychosocial impact on patients. It is therefore important to engage a mental health provider who is well-versed in chronic illness (and IBD, if possible) in your care. Some advanced IBD Centers have GI psychologists and/or social workers who can work with you in terms of gut-directed psychotherapy. And in other cases, it is vital to find a mental health specialist privately to help navigate and accept the transition to life with an ostomy.

Mental health providers versed in IBD and ostomy life

The recommended method of finding a mental health provider versed in IBD and ostomy life is to search the Rome Foundation Psychogastroenterology directory. The Rome Foundation is an international consortium of physicians and psychologists specializing in digestive disease diagnosis and treatment.

Psychology Today Therapist Finder

Another website to consider is the Psychology Today Therapist Finder to look for a mental health provider who works with patients with chronic medical illnesses. There are several options to filter your search on this site. You will want to check off the following items:

  • Issues

    • Chronic Illness

  • Types of therapy to consider

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
    • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
    • Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

  • Narrow down your search

    To further narrow down your search for a mental health practitioner, Psychology Today offers searches based on various modalities of mental health therapy in addition to practitioners who better understand chronic illness and are culturally sensitive to people of various ages, races, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations.

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Written by Tina Aswani Omprakash. Medically reviewed and validated by Jordan Axelrad, MD, MPH. These webpages are funded by a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.