I'm a psychologist who specializes in trauma. I just happened to run across this site today and thought I would answer this question. If you have a history of abuse, I do believe it's best to find a therapist who experienced in treating people with histories of trauma. It's unfortunately true that many people have histories of trauma, but still you want a therapist who is trauma-informed in her or his approach to treatment. At the least, ask any therapist you are "interviewing" (because that's what you'd be doing, deciding if you want to hire him or her to be your therapist) if she or he is experience treating people with trauma histories, if she or he is experienced treating PTSD, and/or what percentage of her or his practice is patients with PTSD, or people with dissociative disorders or DID, if you have one of those diagnoses. Ask whether she or he has received any specialized training in trauma.
Also, I always suggest that a person meet with at least two or three therapists before making a decision about whom to see. Therapy is a huge investment, of emotions, of time, and of money, and if you have a choice you want to find someone who feels right for you. So try to notice how you feel sitting with a potential therapist, and choose the one who you feel understood by and most comfortable with.
If you have insurance you want to use, to start I suggest you get a list of providers in your area from your insurance company (you can either call them for this or find it on their website). Then, I suggest you go to a site like Psychology Today, where you can search for therapists in your area by specialty, such as trauma, and also by insurance the therapist takes. That will give you a list of therapists who are interested in treating people with trauma (doesn't necessarily mean they're very experienced, just they they're interested) who supposedly take your insurance. Then match those that come up there with the list from your insurance company.
After all that, I suggest you call the therapists and talk to them on the phone. If you want, ask them if they'll give you a free initial consultation in their office (not all do, but it's worth asking, though don't hold it against them if they say no). You can let them know that you plan to meet two or three therapists before making a decision about with whom to work. A good therapist won't object to this at all.
If you still can't find a therapist you like in your area who works with trauma, call your insurance company. They are obligated to have clinicians in their provider network who can meet your clinical needs. If they don't, they should allow you to see a therapist who is out of their provider network. Eventually, perhaps as soon as in the next 5 years (they are considering this now), insurance companies might allow (pay for) people in more rural areas of the country to work via Skype with qualified clinicians in other parts of the country.
I hope this helps.
