Mental health issues are a major concern for everyone.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 21% of US adults experienced mental illness in 2020 (52.9 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults. Link: https://www.nami.org/mhstats

Further, mental illness is rarely experienced in isolation with ripple effects through relationships, families, and communities.

 

Getting Started

While more widely accessible than ever, mental health services can be expensive, difficult to access during non-working hours, and insurance coverage often falls short of the variety of costs associated with getting the help needed. Adding on a new layer with the pandemic and response to Covid-19, it is an understandably challenging environment to seek help.

People often refer to “therapy” as a blanket term, but are you aware of how many types of therapies, therapists and areas of specialties exist? The therapy landscape is vast and evermore accessible now that the world has shifted to the availability of remote visits from your phone or home laptop. Great timing since the pandemic has affected many of us in ways we were unprepared to process. Common emotions around what the pandemic has brought with it are more awareness in your patterns with stress, anxiety and overall discomfort from the disruption to life as we knew it over the last couple years. 

Not all Licensed Therapists take insurance. Check with your employer’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program) benefits, lean on your primary care physician for resources/referrals and contact your insurance provider for a list of “In-Network” Therapists. Ask and compare what the cost would be if you went with an In Network vs Out of Network provider. Friends and family are also a good source of reference when searching for a Therapist recommendation.

There are a TON of different Therapy approaches, everything from talk therapy to guided meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Release Therapy, Hypnotherapy. The list is long and varied. Psychology Today does a great job of giving a therapist bio and all of the therapy methods the therapist is trained in https://www.psychologytoday.com/us. The site also lists each therapist's field and specialty to identify those who work primarily with teens, elders, married couples, addicts, single parents, those experiencing disease or illness diagnosis, the LGBTQ+ community, and everyone in between.

If you have the means to choose anyone regardless of paying out of pocket per visit,most therapists offer a no-cost consultation via video call and you can ask about pricing per visit in your consultation call. Cost of care alone is one factor to compare against. Best fit with a therapist and match of client goals against therapists specialties are also important factors to consider as you meet with professionals during initial consultations. Keep this list in mind, your first visits may indicate a need to try a new therapeutic approach perhaps with a different professional. Addressing mental health issues takes time, commitment, and reflection. As with financial planning, having some initial sketch of your goals, a list of what you would like to get out of mental health therapy as eventual “outcomes,” will only help, even if those goals change and become better refined over time.

 

Psychiatrists are more likely to be covered by insurance since Psychiatry is usually hand in hand with medication. Helpful to check first with your health insurance to give you an overview of how many visits per year are covered/ what is the patient's responsibility (copay) and point you in the direction of a list of Psychiatrists that are In-Network vs Out of Network to compare. LifeStance is a great place for your search https://lifestance.com/ this website is an expansive list of Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Licensed Therapists.

 

Web Resources:

 

For young adults in College 

Check with Student Health Services on campus. Student health services offer a wealth of resources including on-campus health clinics, laboratory work, x-rays, wellness checks, physical therapy, psychiatry, and mental health counseling. 

 

Healing Reads

 

Educational Reads

 

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health issue with immediates and urgent needs to address, consider accessing and dialing: