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CRITERIA AND QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LISTING IN THE
AlternativeMentalHealth.com PRACTITIONER DIRECTORY  

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It is the desire and mission of AlternativeMentalHealth.com to list in our directory as many alternative mental health practitioners as possible. We don’t want to exclude any qualified practitioner.

Our public is the growing sector of the population who, for a variety of reasons, want an alternative – a choice – over standard psychiatric treatment. In order to serve this public well, we want to list those practitioners who do not employ standard psychiatric treatment in treating mental disturbances.

Examples of alternative mental health treatments include:

1. Rest and quiet.
2. Nutritional therapy.
3. Chiropractic.
4. Homeopathy.
5. Full, searching medical exam for physical problems affecting behavior and treatment for medical ailments.
6. Allergy testing and treatment.
7. Toxic metals testing and treatment
8. Herbal treatment.

To be listed on AlternativeMentalHealth.com, the practitioner needs to meet the following criteria:

1. Does not give or recommend psychosurgery.
2. Does not give or recommend shock treatment of any kind.
3. No physically damaging treatment.
4. No harassment.
5. Minimal or no psychiatric drug use. (Only on a temporary or emergency basis.)
6. Primary practice is not "talk therapy"*

We are well aware that people in distress can be helped by sharing their troubles with an understanding listener or by learning constructive spiritual or philosophical principles that will help them live better lives.

There are several reasons, however, why we do not list talk therapy practitioners.  First, talk therapists are easy to find elsewhere.  Secondly, many of the people who visit our site have already tried psychotherapy in various forms and come to us seeking alternatives.  Thirdly, our organization is dedicated to helping people with severe mental symptoms.  Our research has shown us these are usually created by medical disorders such as hormone problems, blood sugar problems, nutritional metabolic problems, etc.  These are people diagnosed with "schizophrenic, bipolar" and other severe conditions.

We are grateful there are individuals who seek to help others in any non-injurious way, be it with talk therapy or anything else.

But our main concern is that the vast majority of people with severe mental symptoms have overlooked physical ailments.  So our aim is to educate the public on this matter and recommend that the medical problems be addressed as a matter of first priority.  That is why we list in our directory doctors and practitioners who concentrate on medical and nutritional treatment of severe mental symptoms.  

Once people are medically well and are not in a severe state, they may still want to see a counselor.  Or people with milder symptoms may want to see a counselor.  We understand this but it is outside the scope of this organization's mission which is to educate the public on the physical causes of severe mental symptoms.