I'm glad insurance got a line on the screen, but I think for a lot of people at least in the US, the hardest part about seeking therapy is making it affordable. It makes a big difference in access when people know about options that might be free or subsidized through school or employee assistance programs, or how to figure out what their copay would be through insurance.
this is pretty much the biggest reason why I haven't gone to find a therapist. The reason I need one is because I'm going through a rough point in my life where I'm unemployed and finding it difficult to find work, and would like a change. But...no work=no money. No money=no therapy?
I can resonate. I have been in therapy for years. I asked my primary care doctor and she gave me a referral to see a behavioral health therapist. Best decision I ever made.
You can get free therapy under Medical or Medicaid. You don’t have to be employed to get Medical or Medicaid. You can also get free therapy from school counselors OR from community organizations if you’re a minor. Especially in California you can search for “child therapy near me”. It will show you a bunch of agencies on google. Most of them are free through Medical. Avoid private insurance agencies as they cost more vs. free government agencies. You can leave therapy whenever you wish. How do I know? I work with insurance.
Talk to your school counselor. Depending on what you're dealing with, they may be able to help you without involving your parents, or they may be able to help make that conversation easier. They are there for you! Sending positive vibes your way~
The situation is slightly different depending on where you live. In the US, different states have different laws regarding minors seeking therapy without the knowledge/consent from their parents. www.goodtherapy.org/blog/faq/does-my-parent-have-to-give-permission-for-me-to-go-to-therapy www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/June-2018/4-Ways-Teens-Can-Access-Therapy-Without-Health-Ins School counselors and physicians, as well as personal physicians seem to be the best places to start the conversation and ask about resources local to your area. Aside from that, I would suggest seeking local, phone, and online support groups. Just remember that confidentiality with almost anyone goes out the window if you mention self harm or intent to harm others. At that point, I'm fairly certain it's their legal responsibility to notify your parents and other authorities depending on the situation. If you struggle with self-harm, there are loads of pages dedicated to explanation of impulses, ideas for alternative expression of emotion, and support groups online.
Regarding Step 4 (Go to the appointment), I'd like to add that the first appointment may be different from your future appointments. Your therapist may have you come in for a quick (possibly free) consultation for you to meet each other and see if you want to schedule a full appointment. Or the first appointment could be a long intake appointment, where you share a lot of information about various aspects of your life, so that your therapist has a better picture of how your struggles fit into your life, what your goals are for therapy, and how best to approach those goals. So don't expect to come out of your first appointment feeling totally better! Therapy takes work and patience, but it's worth it. Also, some therapists have the option to email to set up an appointment, which is great if you have a lot of anxiety about calling.
Most of the stress in my life has come from money, specifically my lack of discipline with responsible debt vs what income I had coming in every month and all that. I found that when I took responsibility for my finances and eliminated my debt my anxiety went away. That isn’t to say there were not other issues, but by sorting out my finances first, I was able to better focus on my true issues. I fully understand if someone has depression or other serious issues, this basic discovery will not help. But for others, it may absolutely help.
I want to get help but it just doesn't seem reasonable. $300 for an hour session is just not worth it when I'm not seeing results. Every therapist I've ever been too I've stopped going after a few months because they've squeezed like $3600 and I haven't seen a lick of improvement. Sometimes it just feels like a sham.
@@eclipse369. Not really, a lot of them are paying student loans. Most of them have families. I haven’t met one that had tons of money. That’s a myth, most of them are poor. How do I know? I do their payroll.
My college offers free counseling, I think, and I've been considering it for awhile, but always end up convincing myself I'm okay, which is mostly true.
I convinced myself I was fine for years. Even when I was definitely not fine, I was convinced that everyone felt this way sometimes (see: all the time) and that I was the weak one for feeling like I couldn't handle it. My various therapists and psychiatrists have allowed me to see that I am not weak, or feeble-minded for feeling like I couldn't handle it. I have chemical mis-fires in my brain from previous trauma and genetic predisposition which makes my mind and behaviour different and more difficult than a "normal" person. Thanks to their help and guidance, I am happier more often, more capable, and kinder to myself than I have been since I was 14. My point is: There is no shame, harm, or downside to trying it out. Especially if it is free! One of my regrets about University is that I didn't take advantage of the free services that could have helped me so much. It might not help, or work for you. But it might do good things! And isn't that worth something?
If there are things you might need to address somewhere along the line, it might be worth looking into while it's free and convenient. It's a pretty low-risk opportunity to figure out how you feel about therapy and what matters to you in a therapist, in addition to potentially alleviating the need for more expensive and inconvenient help later, or just improving your quality of life. I went my senior year because I realized I wouldn't have the option for free again, and I wish I'd taken advantage of 4 years while I could.
I just wanted to follow up that I finally stopped in and saw one of the free counselors at my college. I know I'm not "terrible," but I think I can be better. The therapist I talked to agrees, and we'll see how the appointments go! Whatever happens, I'm glad I'm trying this.
Here in Canada, a lot of the therapy is free, but the waiting list is 4 to 6 months. I'm going through coping skills groups while I wait, but it's better than suffering alone.
I'm in the middle of my long waiting list game for therapy right now. But I'm hopeful! Because my partner went through the same program I'm waiting for and they were really helped by it. Plus I have a psychiatrist who is covered through my standard province health coverage. Even with the waiting list I feel lucky to have these resources.
Im on state insurance here in USA and ive still dealt with a more than a yr long wait on gettin into therapy bcuz of how bogged down the whole system is here for those without
@Jose Martin thank you Jose. Fuck me, YOU better be the one who's doing well spreading all kinds of positivity on this thread. Thanks for trying to make my day better
Nice. This video pops up on my home page just after I had a break down last night crying... awesome lol I don’t have any cash in the bank, so I guess it’s time to sit down in front of a mirror and console myself lol.
It's not for everyone because they don't have the ability to prescribe meds, but look into the Catholic Charities in your local area. I was blown away by how they helped me. They adjusted the price because I was basically poor at the time ($22 per session, I know, fucking cheap), they never brought up religion, my therapist functioned just like every other therapist I had (minus the meds). It was one of the best things I ever did, and I need to do it again at this point. Might be worth the time for someone in the comments here.
Catholic Charities claims to help anyone regardless of religion. They do not. In fact, after talking to them, I am not even sure what they do. I went to them for help when I was out of work, scraping the bottom of the barrell, and having a lot of trouble providing for my family. They were able to do squat. Now to be honest, the question of my religion never came up in the conversation. But in the end, they had no program that addressed the issues I was having. I was unimpressed.
This video makes it seem so easy, but that hasn't been my [limited] experience. I struggle a lot with step 1. Last year I was pretty miserable and started actively seeking therapy. I didn't end up getting any, and now I'm "better," but I'm not certain I'm "better /enough/" and I don't know how to tell. Then step 2 and 3 are where I got stuck before. I contacted perhaps a dozen people, including some my GP recommended, none of whom accepted my insurance and most of whom weren't taking new clients. I couldn't deal with that stress on top of what I was already struggling with, so I stopped pursuing it.
I'm sorry you had such a hard time finding someone who accepted your insurance and who was taking new clients. I think you're right that there are a lot of obstacles to getting mental health care, and one of them is a lack of providers and lack of insurance coverage. If you feel up to seeking therapy again in the future, you may want to try contacting your insurance company to get a list of providers who accept their insurance. I haven't tried that myself, but I've had it recommended to me, and at least that takes care of one of the problems.
You can drown in 20 ft of water as much as 2ft of water. If you can't get air, you can't get air. No matter how you are feeling right now, never compare anothers pain, as all pain is still pain and is still completely valid to seek help.
Therapist and counselor are general titles that a variety of folks with differing levels of training (and insurance coverage) can hold. Look for "licensed" or "permit/associate licensed" to ensure they are accountable to ethical standards at both state and national levels
I know I should seek therapy and have been meaning to do so consistently for several years now but I'm too anxious to do it. I'll fill in the forms/ surveys to make a self-referral but when they call to set up a date and time, I'm too anxious to pick up. So now I'm stuck.
Ok.....Ok..... How do I start this lol. I don't know a single person in my life who can afford to see a therapist, not one, I don't have any friends who can see one, nor any neighbors, nor any childhood friends, nor any teachers, nor any family that can see a therapist. I have never heard anyone say, "Hey, lets start seeing a therapist regularly". The only time I've heard this is in movies or in the media. It's kind of a big deal if you can afford to see a therapist lol. Yet this video just assumes that's not a problem???? If this really came out in mental health month or whatever which is a month for rich people to deal with mental health issues, then I expected to see this issue be tackled about how to see a therapist or whatever if you're not rich. If mental health awareness is so important and if this video strives to bring further awareness to the importance of mental health, then why did you leave out literally 98% of all the people in the west by just assuming payment wasn't a problem.
Thirty years ago I began my struggle with dysthymia, now renamed persistent depressive disorder. My primary care doctor first warned me that seeking help from the mental health industry could be unwise, as some of the practitioners were more destructive than any of their patients. In desperation, I disregarded his warning and as a result very nearly lost my life. Ironically, it has been only in the last year that I first heard the term that describes perfectly what happened to me: gaslighting. When wielded by a professional from a position of trust, the technique can be more devastating than bullets or poison. Once wounded by such betrayal, a victim will find it exceedingly difficult to trust anybody in the industry, and successive practitioners are liable to regard the client as a troublemaker rather than a person in need of help. The only defense in this situation is a strong sense of self and a determination to protect yourself from scurrilous attack--the very things that are usually not available to victims of acute emotional disorders. I strongly urge any person considering treatment or dissatisfied with their treatment to first find and read the book, Compassion and Self Hate: An Alternative to Despair, by Theodore Rubin. Keep it with you. Use it to protect yourself. In my long experience, I learned that about one in five therapists of any supposed qualification are actually reliable, determined, and decent enough persons to trust with your life. At the first sign of belittling, insulting, or inappropriate behavior by the therapist, get out and do not go back. Have faith in yourself. Trust only the therapist who treats you with immaculate respect. You can come through it, and you will find that life can be good after you become wiser and stronger through needful struggle.
Most Licensed Professional Counselors charge $100 per hour. Many have sliding scales for people who don’t have insurance or can’t afford the regular rate. Many communities have hot lines and information lines about where you can seek counseling on a budget or even if you have no money for counseling. Money is not an excuse not to go to counseling. If you are in crisis call your local non emergency police phone number and ask to be connected to a crisis line in your area or call the National crisis line for information on where to seek help in your area.
For those of you that really want to seek out therapy, but haven't had any luck, why don't you guys add each other and connect? You can create your own group therapy with people with the same struggles.
I can't say how disappointed I am with the mental therapy profession. I've been trying for decades to find someone I can talk to about my warped mind, my pathetic mental instability, and I have only found "therapists" who sit there and have nothing to say about what I'm saying. I once had a therapist telling me to write down what I just told her for the last 45 minutes and to come back next week. I mean, what the fuck?! The last time I saw a "psychologist" she kept interrupting me because I told her I'm an alcoholic and she thought that's where the problem is at. What I want to find out is how my mental problems led me to be an alcoholic and I threw everything at her but nothing register, she kept saying alcohol is the problem and that I have to stop drinking. I'm 58 years old and still don't know where to find a professional who can talk to me about the issues I have, this is a true nightmare.
Where I live we have a clinic where you can talk to them about getting insurance based in your income. My sister, son and a good friend got free to very affordable insurance. Here in Washington, it's called apple health. Such a Godsend.
If you can't afford therapy check to see if your local university or med school has a psychiatric medicine program. I get therapy at $20 a session at my local college. I was skeptical at first, but it might even be better than the regular way because students near graduation tend to be extra careful and don't have any motives to prescribe potentially dangerous medication you don't need.
Don't forget to provide a disclaimer when your video is US-centric! A lot of this information might actually be counter-productive for people seeking help in countries where the preferred resource for mental health is a Primary Care Network. Often, these countries also have private resources, but these may be 1) of lower quality, 2) inaccessible due to cost, or 3) unable or unwilling to refer the client to the resources they actually need, if they cannot provide them. Also, "Psychotherapy" is NOT the right terminology in most of the world! "Therapy," "Behavioural Therapy" or "Cognative Therapy" are non-prescribing resources for the treatment of Mental Illness. "Psychotherapy" is a pseudoscientific branch of therapy which, while still acessible in the United States, is generally not recommended elsewhere. Thanks for the great video anyway!
Are you suggesting that the U.S. has a high standard of behavioral health care compared to other developed countries? And what reliable study supports that conclusion?
I've been on 3 years pretending trying to get a therapist. And i keep putting it off. "It's too expensive" i say but it's getting harder. One minute I'm at the top of the world the next I'm angry :(
I hate going to therapy... Most therapists are all textbook but no experience. It's a scam. Now if you find a therapist who successfully overcame what you struggle, that's gold. If you find a therapist who had so many terrible relationships and now is happily married, that's also gold. An experienced knowledgeable therapist > a knowledgeable therapist.
For the underage people who need this. Know that your issues ARE important and urgent. Parents don't tend to listen, and for that you have to approach them and tell them just how urgent the problem is. Tell them that it is making you consider suicidal options and etc, tell them that it's affecting your health and daily abilities and don't stop until they listen. What's worse, being shut down a bunch until getting it or living miserably?
I have questions. What about counselling from group therapy or a spiritual leader or life coach? Are these ways that are just as helpful as a real 'therapist'?
It really seems to depend on the individual and their circumstances. But it's important to note that these groups are not mutually exclusive: someone you might label as a "real" therapist might suggest group therapy, there are whole branches of licensure that apply to religious or spiritual leaders, and life coaches can address some of the same concerns that therapists do from a different perspective.
Insurance reimbursement may also be a factor. We get licensed because it allows us to bill insurance, and you have protection as a consumer, because we are subject to ethical requirements as well as state and federal requirements in giving care - we have malpractice insurance. Having said that, life coaches can be very good too, as well as spiritual leaders, but they cannot bill insurance. The treatment we administer is also considered medical treatment, actually, whereas a life coach is not - though, group therapy *can* be, depending. This is a drawback for licensed counselors, too, because to bill your insurance we have to diagnose. Life coaches and such aren't subject to that requirement. Group therapy can be very helpful as an adjunct to one-on-one therapy, however it's not always run by someone trained, necessarily. Again, that's not a big problem. It largely depends what you're looking for. I do think group therapy can be extremely helpful as an adjunct to therapy or for certain situations. Another consideration with life coaches and group therapy is they are not subject to confidentiality laws. Confidentiality is a separate law that exists in addition to HIPAA. When you see me, I cannot legally disclose that you are my client or what we discuss without express written consent. This is so strict that even if it's a non-psych provider in-network I still cannot disclose this. The one exception is if you report something like child/elder/or disabled endangerment or abuse, or if you are uncontrollably suicidal or homicidal with a clear intent to do harm (you can feel suicidal without intending to harm). All of those I am required to report by law. This varies from state to state. Group therapy, life coaches, and religious counselors aren't required to follow these laws. Having said that, I have met life coaches and group leaders who were better than some licensed therapists, actually. Some ADHD coaches are quite good, actually, and don't always have clinical training. Just because someone has a license doesn't mean they're better, necessarily, than someone who isn't. Anyone
Talitha Borealis I know as a scheduler for a Doctor’s office, there are protocols and resources in place for us to help callers. It seems strange that every time I have a caller say they are calling to set up a medication review for anxiety or depression meds, I have to ask “are you currently in crisis?” But I’ve been in situations where the caller sounds completely calm and cheerful, yet are in physical danger. All that said, I’m very proud to be in this position because my empathic abilities have made an impact on these people’s lives. And I’m not even a clinician!
I think the support staff in all psych offices is a godsend! You guys are total rockstars. I am very grateful for the staff I work with, because we are a team 100%. Seriously, I get annoyed when people are obnoxious to scheduling or the nurses. And, I think you guys do a lot of deescalation you don't always get credit for. I think we can all make a difference in people's lives. Some of the best counselors I've met are volunteers who work for crisis lines or in community mental health and don't have any credentials. Even when I'm not acting as a counselor I try to remember exactly what you said... because we can be empathic anywhere regardless of what jobs we do. I think sometimes people don't realize how even just a few words of kind and genuine empathy can be so very healing for someone.
Group therapy is often moderated by a licensed therapist who has been trained in conducting group therapy (exceptions are peer-run groups like Alcoholics Anonymous). Group therapy can be a great method because it’s often less expensive, and if your challenges are largely interpersonal, or you feel really isolated or alone in your problem, group therapy will be especially effective. A spiritual counselor might be best suited if you have specifically religious concerns, or if your community would view attending “regular” therapy as taboo, but it’s important to check accreditation and licensing in your state, and have a frank conversation with them about their confidentiality policies.
I had one for over 13 years. She didn't know what narcissist was until I educated her ,she was very nice so in all I taught her from my knowledge of experiences.Her husband in which she was married to twice was an narcissist, he was very hateful and demanding. She one said she should have paid me and medicate paid fairly good .I grew to trust her and after all the talk therapy I was on my to heal.I was curious and totally honest about my whole family which is all narcissist, antisocial, psychopath too.So venting your pain is a release to your soul. 🕯🙏
I’ve been looking for a family therapist for 2 years, I followed all the steps up until after making the call. I’ve called about two dozen offices and no one - not one - has returned my call. 🙁
Advice for Australians: if you want to claim under medicare, you'll need a referral from your GP. They may have somewhere they recommend, or you can also google in advance and find somewhere yourself.
I'm a bit scared of the idea of eventually going to therapy because I never really know how to talk to people about these things. I feel like I'd just sit there awkwardly, start to panic, and decide to say everything's fine and call off the appointment, and promptly walk out the door. Then I'd go home and bang my head against a wall for not saying anything. But hey, idk how therapy works so.. We'll see. Maybe I'll be ok.
Also really helpful are LMFTs, or marriage, couple and family therapists, who are trained to think about systems and interpersonal challenges. LMFTs can help you sort out unhealthy learned behaviors, sexual challenges or find healthier ways to fight with your partner(s), friends, or family.
It was very difficult to find a counselor with my insurance. Although if you call your insurance company and tell them what you're looking for, they will be able to give you the resources you need. I didn't know who my insurance was but as long as you tell them what you are looking for, they will be able to funnel you in the right direction. Took me several hours to finally get the right phone number but a few weeks later I'm back on my feet.
I was suffering a whole year of depression and I tried everything to get better and different types of therapy both one on one and a group support and no one of it helped.
I once went to a therapist that aoecialized in ocd to see if I had ocd. She said I had ocd and argued with my mom that I should come back. Turns out I don’t have ocd. But she specializes in people with ocd and needed patients so she said I did. She also apparently wrote a lot of negative things about me though I don’t know what they were. Also, when I was very little, dealing with childhood bipolar, abuse, bullying, chronic suicidal thoughts, my mom kept trying to find me a therapist so I could talk to someone because I had a lot of anxiety. All she could find was behavioral type therapists and people who would like help me learn better. When I was in my tweens I asked for a therapist and we couldn’t find any that seemed intelligent. As an adult they only seem to want to talk about adjusting my medication. My medication is my medication; it doesn’t need to be altered. Useless.
I feel like the hardest thing would be recognizing what sort of professional you'd need, as usually people in this level of mental distress aren't sure what's wrong with them, and that in and of itself causes a lot of the stress and misery. I get the impression from the comments section that trying many different practitioners would be extremely expensive and time consuming.
I just googled therapists in my area, found the bio that I liked the most and emailed them to set up a time. After spending enough money however, I think it was a good time to stop lol.
This is incredibly helpful. It seems straightforward but I normally get nervous about setting up an appointment. Having a script to follow is so helpful!
The thing is..every night i go to my parents and try to tell them but i just end up not telling them.. I know one day I will.. And they kinda started to finally notice something isn't right with me..My mom started noticing I'm isolating myself..I have an english/french teacher and maybe i could talk with them.. I just want someone to listen to what i have to say..I want to get help.. but i don't have the courage..that's the thing..
Me(34yo): "I have depression with thoughts of suicide." My Parents: "Stop that! What do you have to be depressed about?" "Remember; Only *YOU* can make you happy." "Don't take life so seriously!" "You need to just get over it." "Knock it off." "Here's a motivational saying I read on Facebook, you should be cured by reading it"
I have a question I was struggling with anxiety and depression so my family doctor had me on Ativan and I had been taking tramadol for pain but I went to a mental facility for a week to try and get help for my depression but when I told my doctor I went he said he couldn't give me my medication anymore yet the facility I went to gave me my meds and just added a mood stabilizer why did he not want to see me anymore?
If the mental health profession cannot effectively address the social ills of society and treat those, medicating the people who can't function in such dysfunction is, by definition, "insane".
Its needed where im at in PA very badly. My Dr called me a piece of shit at the end of one of my appointments. I want to switch but with everything shut down i cant rly switch right now unless i go without meds. Where my ptsd is at right now i dont think that will be good
How do I find affordable therapy during a pandemic that I can also *afford*? Close to just offing myself honestly,it almost feels like begging for help when you can't afford it or reach it
Hey man, I'm sorry you're feeling this way. Check out some online therapists right now and have a talk with your insurance about what is covered when it comes to (online)therapy. You will get through this!
I had crushing loneliness and touch-deprivation, but I just invested in a few cases of good whiskey and a giant stuffed tiger. Living the high-life now. All for about the same price as an appointment with the shrink.
