Psychotherapy is beneficial for many people around the world. People seek out therapists to help with a host of issues and problems ranging from depression and post traumatic stress disorder to concerns about their marriages. Even more could benefit as at least 50% of people who suffer from major depression do not get any treatment at all. Approximately 350 million people are adversely impacted by depression across the globe. If you are looking for therapy services for yourself or a loved one, there are a number of things to consider. Here are some tips for what to look for and ask.
Tips for Finding the Best Therapy Services:
- What is covered by your insurance? Many health insurance carriers do cover therapy services but have different requirements for how to take advantage of those benefits. Some require you to get a pre-certification to be able to see a therapist or counselor. You also may have to see someone who is in their network. Before you find a therapist you want to see, check with your carrier to see what their requirements are.
What kind of therapy do you need? If you are looking for couples counseling that will be a lot different than individual therapy. Think about what kind therapy you are looking for but be at least a little open to new techniques and methods. Not every kind of therapy works for every person or every situation. Do not judge your couples counselor on the experiences you may have had with an individual therapist or vice versa. If you had a bad experience with one, that does not mean you will have the same kind of experience with another. - Do you think you need medication? Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication. Psychologists are not. You can get very good treatment from both but should know what to expect when you go to either.
- Talk to your friends and family. Many more people have sought out the help of a therapist or received some kind of therapy services in their lives. It is not something everyone feels comfortable about telling people so you may know a lot of people who have seen and been helped by a therapist. Ask them not just for recommendations for good therapists but also how they found the person and even if they had a bad experience.
- Talk to more than one therapist. If you go for therapy services and have a bad experience, do not let that turn you off from getting any counseling at all. You need to be comfortable with the person because you are going to share some really personal parts of your life and that can be extremely difficult under even the best of circumstances. It is vitally important that you be able to relate and communicate with the therapist. If you cannot do that, any time you spend with them is a waste of your time and money.
- Ask for references. Before you go into see a therapist, look them up online. There are a lot of sites out there devoted to rating doctors and therapists. Remember that people are much more likely to complain than compliment so take that into account when you read reviews. Also, one person’s experience with a therapist may be very different from another’s so look at the totality of the reviews and the details that are given about the experiences before you weigh them too heavily.
Many people who could benefit from therapy services never go into get them because of the social stigma that currently surrounds mental health issues. This is unfortunate and costs the economy a lot. Depression costs the United States economy $80 billion (yes billion, with a “b”) in lost productivity and health care costs. Far too many people suffer needlessly because they are too ashamed to seek treatment and get help. A number of people find themselves in the criminal justice system rather than in treatment as mental health issues are often related to substance abuse and addiction. If you or someone you love is suffering from mental health issues, there is no shame in asking for help. Rather it takes courage and strength to do so.