The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a 25% increase in anxiety and depression globally during the first year of the pandemic. While our lives may be closer to normal now, one thing that therapists and their clients agree on is that the need for mental health care is high, but that care can be hard to access. Where should you start? How is the process different if you don’t have insurance? How do you pick the right therapist?
If you or someone you love is experiencing psychological or emotional distress, you are encouraged to seek treatment immediately, just as you would for any other illness, but it’s often a confusing process - and how do you manage the emotions that come with seeking care on top of everything else?
Even when we realize we need help, it can be hard to know where to start.
Federal law requires all insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use care, but the details of that coverage vary by plan.
If you have insurance, check the carrier website or your summary of benefits for coverage details. Does the technical language in your summary of benefits make your head spin? There should be a number on your insurance card so that you can talk to a person about the particulars. For instance, some carriers require preapproval or only cover providers within a certain network. Or, call your nearest Lifeologie location to see if we can help you make the most of your benefits.
If you get your insurance through an employer, you can also check with Human Resources (HR) for more details about coverage. They may also provide short-term mental health care through their Employee Assistance Program (EAP.) Contact an EAP representative to ask about mental care coverage without having to talk to company HR.
If you don’t have insurance, that doesn’t mean you can’t find affordable (and sometimes even free) mental health care.
You’ve got everything sorted with insurance and know what to expect financially. Now, you need to find the right therapist.
There are lots of resources out there to help. Your insurance provider usually has a list of in-network clinicians. You can Google therapy + your zip code. But what do you do with the results? It can feel a little like fishing in the dark.
To narrow your search, Psychology Today offers a more robust function with provider profiles. You can filter results by issue, insurance, clinician gender, ages served, and other categories. Some providers even post video introductions so you can get a sense of their personalities. Pay attention to the provider credentials. A social worker will approach counseling in a different way from a counselor who will approach it differently than a psychologist who will approach it differently than a marriage and family therapist, and so on. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides a simple summary of some of the differences here.
Finding a therapist takes a little work, but finding the right therapist often requires extra effort. Those efforts are worth it, however, because the clinician-client relationship is critical to the success of counseling. You want to work with someone you trust; someone who has a good grasp of your issues and offers a treatment plan that you feel good about, and you want to work with someone with whom you like spending time.
It can be frustrating to search for care, and especially to feel like your therapist is not a good fit after all the time and effort you spent searching. Don’t be afraid to talk to your clinician about why you’re frustrated. Often, all it takes is a conversation between the two of you. The therapist can shift their approach or clarify why they’re doing what they’re doing so that you can become more comfortable with the process. Therapy frequently requires us to venture outside of our comfort zones and can be a challenging experience. Sometimes, however, it really is a provider mismatch.
Good therapists tell new clients during their intake interview that they are free to decide if they don’t want to move forward. In these cases, Lifeologie Counseling can offer to help clients find a better match within our network or refer out to other providers if clients need a different level of care. Licensed clinical mental health counselors are required by the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics to refer clients to other services if they are unable to meet our client's needs.
If you are in the middle of your own search for care, try this deep belly breathing exercise whenever the process causes you distress. Read the summary of your “presenting problem” to remind yourself why you want to find care. Write yourself a thank you note and put it somewhere you’ll come across daily. Ask for help from loved ones.
Above all else, remember that by seeking care, you’re doing something brave and strong. Feel free to reach out and connect with a Lifeologie Counseling therapist near you! And keep going!