finding a doctor?

[synaptic]

last week i left a voicemail for my previous psychiatrist, whom i havent seen since 2003. unfortunately i did not receive a call back, though for all i know she could be on vacation and only returning calls of desperate current patients. but in any case, i have not spoken to her yet...and ultimately the bigger issue is that i noticed she is not on the doctor list of my insurance company's website. towards the end of our sessions years ago she mentioned that she was probably going to be dropping my insurance company, so she probably does not accept it any more. i wont be able to afford more than a couple of sessions without insurance coverage of them, so going to her cant be a long term solution this time around.

so how does one go about finding a new doctor for anxiety?

i found her through a recommendation. i will ask a few people i know if they can recommend anyone, but if i dont get any names im just going to be calling doctors at random (from the insurance company's list.) is there anything i should know and/or keep in mind to help me evaluate whether or not a physician is well suited for dealing with anxiety disorders?

and for that matter, can anyone here recommend a psychiatrist in the northern virginia area (in particular the mid-eastern loudoun or western fairfax areas) that you feel is particularly good? if so, i'll check the insurance company list and see if anthem lists them.

thanks for the info.

[synaptic]

oh, and what are your opinions on holistic / herbal medicine? my mother has been suggesting that i go to someone she's been going to. (she's been going to this person for non psychological reasons.) on the plus side, this person apparently is an MD (internist) as well. however, i have not called to check and see if they typically treat psychological issues as well.

have any of you had success with this sort of treatment?...and if so, was it more or less successful than standard psychiatry+meds?

im just wondering if i should give this a shot first, or just go straight to a psychiatrist.