If you or someone you know needs support for mental health, suicidal thoughts or substance abuse call, text or chat:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 and 988lifeline.org
BlackLine: 800-604-5841 and callblackline.com
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 and translifeline.org
Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 800-273-8255 and press 1 to talk to someone or send a text message to 838255 to connect with a VA responder. You can also start a confidential online chat session at Veterans Crisis Chat. veteranscrisisline.net
We here at Fun Things To Do are strong advocates for mental help and removing the stigma associated with it.
If you think you need to see a therapist, you’re right. Chances are you’re probably already pretty overwhelmed. Sometimes finding a therapist can feel as overwhelming, or worse, something that adds to your stress.
If you are having problems, you should absolutely share with your family and friends. A friend’s shoulder is a great place to cry, but sometimes you’ve got to bring in the pros.
If you were sick, you’d go see a doctor. You wouldn’t ask your best friend to perform an appendectomy?
Mental illness is just as valid an illness as any other disease.
Sometimes you need to see a professional– someone who has actual and metaphorical tools, whose only objective is to help you.
One of the positive things to come out of the pandemic is that seeing and finding a therapist is easier now than ever. Now that telemedicine has expanded, it has bridged the gap; bringing therapy to you.
Where To Start
So, where do you start? We’ve gathered the resources to streamline and (hopefully) simplify the process.
There are many online therapy finding sites, but the top three are Psychology Today’s, ‘Find a Therapist’ tool, Therapy Den, and Open Path. Psychology Today is a fantastic and fascinating magazine, but it’s ‘Find a Therapist’ tool is one of the the gold standards in the business. Therapy Den is another great option and is inclusiveness personified. Open Path is a service providing affordable therapy, with sessions starting at $30.
Through these therapy finding sites, you are able to filter by location, insurance, price, type of therapist, and other preferences. Location is now no longer the most deciding factor. If you live in the middle of nowhere, you can get help. Whether you want in-person or online therapy, the algorithm will give you your results.
Like online dating, it shows available therapists in your area, with a picture, and a personal statement. Unlike online dating, it also shows you their official credentials and certifications. You can generally get a vibe one way or the other from their profile.
Types of Therapists
“Therapy” is catch-all term. There are actually many different types of therapy. In the search results of your query for available therapists, each therapist will talk about what they do specifically.
Do I need a therapist? A Psychologist? A Psychiatrist? Social Worker? There’s a lot of terminology. Although both are therapists, the primary difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication. Some people opt to see one, the other, or both depending on their need. Psychiatrists tend to be more expensive. But, if your primary care physician prescribes an anti-depressant, a psychologist may be the better solution. If cost is an issue, most therapists have a generous sliding scale option depending on your finances.
Types of Therapy
Just like there are a ton of different types of doctor, there are different types of therapists and they all practice different TYPES of therapy. The shorthand terminology can be confusing but the basic types of therapists are as follows:
- Licensed professional counselors (LPC’s)
- Licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs)
- Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs)
- Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs)
- Psychologists (PhDs or PsyDs)
- Psychiatrists (MDs or DOs)
Here is a great comprehensive article by Healthline (in layman’s terms) on the different types of therapy out there. It’s the answer sheet to decode the difference between CBT and DBT and the other acronyms you’ll find in your query results.
Healthline Types of Therapy– Different Types of Approaches and How They Work
Now what?
Once you know what type of therapy and therapist you’d be comfortable with, the next step is to reach out. If you are not a phone person, an email works great, too.
Introduce Yourself
A helpful tool in introducing yourself to a therapist is to write a short, background story on yourself and your life. Identify problems you’re having, what you’d like to achieve, and ask them specifically how they can help you with them. Then, it’s all about finding a good fit. See what they say and how it resonates with you. By writing a, “Previously, on My Life” recap, you can avoid some backfilling later on and really get to the good stuff sooner.
So, you’ve found someone you like. You’ve made arrangements to talk to them. Now what?
What To Expect In Therapy
From the same Healthline Article cited earlier:
You can expect to spend some time discussing how challenging situations, emotions, and behaviors affect your life.
This will likely involve working through some negative events or distressing thoughts. It may be difficult in the moment, but the end result is usually a happier, more fulfilling life.
https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-therapy
Thank you. Next!
Sometimes it takes a few tries to find a match, but when you do the results are worth the effort. Don’t be afraid to “break-up” with a therapist if you’re not jiving with them. They’re professionals, and you wouldn’t be the first.
Knowing something you don’t like about somebody is just as valuable an asset as knowing what you do.
Summary
Everyone can benefit from therapy: couples, kids, even animals. Even just thinking about getting a therapist is a step forward. Let us know if you have any questions. Best of luck!
Again, if you or someone you know needs support for mental health, suicidal thoughts or substance abuse call, text or chat:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 and 988lifeline.org
BlackLine: 800-604-5841 and callblackline.com
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 and translifeline.org
Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 800-273-8255 and press 1 to talk to someone or send a text message to 838255 to connect with a VA responder. You can also start a confidential online chat session at Veterans Crisis Chat. veteranscrisisline.net
Southeast Detox – This guide offers a list of the top 50 resources to help Black women rise and THRIVE in 2023!
Live Another Day – Live Another Day believes in equal access to life-saving mental health and substance use resources. This website provides extensive information on the best resources available.
Detox Local – An excellent resource that features abundant information including mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community.
Special thanks to Brittany Rasmussen Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT and Malcolm Jenkins from Live Another Day.
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Artwork by @elenakalinicheva via canva.com
