I grew up in a family that viewed mental health care as completely normal. My mother was a licensed therapist, so going to therapy never carried the stigma for us that it did for some people. When I got to college and decided to find a mental health counselor for myself, I felt entirely comfortable.
For many people, however, finding a mental health counselor (especially the right one) can be difficult. People may feel embarrassed, afraid, or simply not know where to begin, which is unfortunate because more people than ever are struggling with mental health issues. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, millions of people are affected by mental illness in the United States each year.
Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, for example, rose in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization.
According to NAMI, in 2021:
— 22.8% of adults (1 in 5) experienced a mental illness
— 5.5% of adults (1 in 20) experienced serious mental illness
— Only 47.2% of adults with mental illness and 65.4% of adults with serious mental illness received treatment
If you are one of the millions experiencing problems with your mental health, remember that it’s not your fault and you’re not alone. Read on for expert advice on how to find the help you need.
[READ: What Is Prolonged Grief Disorder?]
What Is a Mental Health Counselor?
A mental health counselor is a professional who treats the emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects of mental health. They work with individual children, adults, couples and families to address a variety of conditions or mental health concerns, including substance use addiction.
There are many types of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed counselors, therapists and clinicians, and psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioners.
Here’s how the most common are broken down by titles and qualifications:
— psychiatristis a licensed medical doctor — meaning a doctor of medicine, or MD, or a doctor of osteopathy, or DO — who can diagnose and treat the most serious mental health conditions. They can prescribe and monitor medications. Some also receive training in specialty areas like child and adolescent mental health, geriatric psychiatry or substance abuse.
— A psychologist holds a doctorate, or PhD, or has a doctor of psychology degree, or PsyD, and is trained to evaluate a person’s mental health using clinical interviews, psychological evaluations and testing. They provide individual and group therapy, often specializing in specific modes of therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
— A psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioneralso can treat mental health conditions or substance use disorders and, in some states, can prescribe medications. They may also need a master’s or PhD degree, depending on the state.
— Alicensed therapisttypically has a master’s-level degree and may be called a counselor, clinician, therapist or something else depending on the treatment they offer. They sometimes specialize in areas such as marriage or family therapy.
— A clinical social worker can hold a MSW (master of social work) or LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) degree. Training typically includes two years of coursework and practical experience working at agencies in the community. Social workers are trained to perform psychotherapy, with a particular emphasis on connecting people with the community and support services available there.
— A specialized therapist has an advanced degree in such specialties as art therapy and music therapy.
[READ: Types of Therapy: Choosing the Right One for You.]
What Type of Mental Health Professional Is Right for You?
One type of therapist is not necessarily better than the other. It’s more important to choose a therapist based on your needs and their experience and expertise.
When you seek help from a mental health therapist, you’re vulnerable. You’re opening up about issues you may never have discussed with anyone else and putting it all on the table. With conditions such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, your therapeutic relationship could last weeks, months or longer. So it’s important that your therapist is not only professional and competent, but also the best fit for you.
Treatment style, personal chemistry and your individual goals all play a role in making a good patient-therapist match.
It’s also essential that they’re licensed, says Lynn Bufka, Deputy Chief, Practice at the American Psychological Association. Whether they are a psychologist or a social worker, “it means that (they) have met that profession’s minimum in terms of education and training, and have demonstrated the capacity to provide psychotherapy services,” she says.
How to Find a Therapist or Mental Health Counselor
If you’re unfamiliar with looking for a mental health counselor, following a playbook can make the process less overwhelming. Here are the steps recommended by our experts.
1. Identify what you want to get out of therapy
Before beginning your search, Theresa Nguyen, Mental Health America’s Chief Research Officer, says to spend some time thinking about what you want to get out of therapy.
“That’s a big one actually, because it takes a little bit of time for you to prepare and to do a little bit of self work, but that work for yourself is so valuable.” She adds that it will cut down on your frustrations and give your new therapist guidance.
For example, are you looking for psychoanalysis where you explore deep-seated roots of mental health issues dating back to your childhood? Or do you want a more solutions-based focus using certain tools — like cognitive behavioral therapy — to help you overcome a specific challenge or hurdle?
2 . Check your health insurance coverage
Is therapy accessible and affordable? Whether you have health insurance and if that insurance covers mental health care will have a big impact on what kind of therapy will be accessible. Check your mental health coverage and what types of insurance — if any — your therapist accepts.
“For many people, whether or not they can afford care is going to be critical,” Bufka says, “so if a person has health insurance, looking within whatever is covered by their health insurance is always a smart thing to do.”
If you don’t have mental health coverage through insurance and you have limited financial means, there are still ways to get the help you need. Some therapists take payment on a sliding scale and there are also free resources.
If you don’t have health coverage, can’t afford to pay for therapy or simply need to talk to someone, a warmline can help. These are services where you can call and have a conversation with a trained peer support specialist who has been through their own mental health struggles. You can find a local or national warmline at warmline.org. Crisis lines or hotlines and the Crisis Text Line can also be valuable tools and resources. All of these services are free and confidential.
[Read: Low-Cost Therapy Options for Every Budget.]
3. Identify some possible therapists
Now it’s time to make a list of potential therapists, keeping in mind why you’re seeking therapy and what you want to get out of it. A good place to start is with your primary care physician.
“People often forget that mental health conditions are primary care conditions as well. And so people ought to know that the first stop should be your primary care doctor because they can help point you in the right direction,” says NAMI Associate Medical Director and child psychiatrist Dr. Christine M. Crawford.
You can also research online or ask friends and family for recommendations. Use U.S. News’s free doctor finder, which allows you to search for psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners by location, insurance, specialty and many other criteria. Another resource is Psychology Today’s free online tool that allows you to search for therapists and group therapy groups by state and major cities.
When searching, look for a therapist who has expertise in the area(s) of concern to you, such as depression, anxiety or trauma. Therapists’ bios will usually include their specialties, whether they are taking new patients and payment/insurance information.
You don’t necessarily need to limit your search to therapists in your immediate area, either. Check if your insurance provider covers virtual sessions with therapists in different parts of your state or different regions of the country.
“Another benefit we have right now is that many people are able to provide care virtually, and virtual care can be very effective. Lots of data suggests that it can be as effective as in-person (therapy),” Bufka says.
4. Contact a few therapists on your list
If you’re considering hiring someone to repair your roof, you’d check them out, right? It’s no different with therapists.
“You have the right to vet your therapist and this is a really important part of finding a therapist,” Nguyen says.
Contact a few of the therapists on your list by phone or email to gather basic information. First, it’s okay to ask them if they charge for a consultation or a first appointment. Then let them know a little bit about yourself and what you’re looking for, and ask if they have experience with that particular problem. (If they don’t, ask if they can recommend someone who does.)
You need to feel comfortable with your therapist and trust that they have your best interests at heart. If you have a phone consultation, Nguyen suggests asking yourself if you get along with the person. Do you feel at ease or excited when talking with them, or does something feel a bit off? She likens the process to dating or finding a friend. “You kind of have to trust your gut,” she says.
[READ Grounding Techniques: Exercises for Anxiety and Panic Attacks]
5. Start going to sessions
When you go to your first session, you can still be vetting the therapist. See if you connect with the person and whether or not you feel comfortable with them. Think about their communication style. Do you want to be challenged to move forward in therapy or bask in warmth and support?
If you’re not sure, give it a few sessions, but keep in mind that it’s okay to end the relationship if it’s not working. Nguyen emphasizes that leaving a therapist doesn’t mean either person has failed, it’s just not a good fit.
Setting goals can help in gauging your progress. Progress won’t happen overnight, but you should see signs as therapy continues. How long that takes depends on where you are when you start therapy,
“If you don’t feel like it’s not heading in the direction that you were hoping it would go and you’re not feeling connected, please, please feel comfortable disclosing that with your therapist,” Crawford says. “Because a lot of patients don’t realize that that’s also a standard in common practice. Therapists are used to and are trained to have conversations with patients who feel like their needs aren’t being met, and therapists are okay with patients moving on to someone else,” Crawford says.
There Will Be Challenges. Don’t Give Up.
“People should know that the process for getting treatment is hard, and it’s not your fault,” Nguyen says.
Fear of stigma can inhibit some from seeking help. Nguyen says some of the biggest barriers we face are internal — embarrassment, shame and being overwhelmed by our feelings. She suggests getting comfortable talking to people in your life. “You never know how many more people access therapy until you start talking about it.”
Another challenge is that when a person needs help, the process of finding a mental health counselor may feel too taxing.
“If you’re depressed and feel overwhelmed, if you can’t get out of bed, how on earth are you going to look for a therapist?” Bufka says. She recommends finding someone to partner with you to do some of the research and make the initial contacts with therapists.
There’s also the issue of wanting a therapist who has the same ethnic or cultural background (which can be challenging because there is a severe lack of diversity in mental health care in the United States). The vast majority of therapists — 86% of all therapists in the U.S. — are white, according to the American Psychological Association.
“There are concerns about racism and clinician bias, and there are a lot of communities in which there’s a lack of trust of mental health care providers,” Crawford says. “So taking that leap of faith and becoming vulnerable with someone who may not understand your life experience creates a tremendous barrier for people who come from marginalized communities. What I let people know, is that when it comes to Black psychiatrists, only 1% to 2% of us are Black.”
She says finding a mental health counselor who matches your race or ethnicity can be like finding a needle in a haystack, and she doesn’t want that to keep people from getting the help they need.
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How to Find the Right Mental Health Counselor for You originally appeared on usnews.com
