The challenges of finding a therapist near you
Searching for a therapist or counselor can be extraordinarily challenging. There are resources to find mental health professionals such as online search engines, referrals from a friend, or contacting your insurance company to see what they cover. However, some people don’t have a particularly good health plan, and their coverage may not include behavioral health services. That brings up another problem – cost. It’s like buying a house. Finding a home in your area might be easy, but buying it might not be feasible because it’s too expensive and you don’t have the money for a down payment. Much like affording to purchase a home, affording a good therapist is costly If you don’t have insurance. And how are you going to pay for a session that might cost over $200 just for an initial evaluation? Unfortunately, that amount is typically the low end of the spectrum when it comes to finances surrounding mental health services. This article addresses how to find an affordable counselor or therapist.
Sliding scale
Many people don’t know this, but many therapists have the option to work on what is called a sliding scale. Sliding scales, if you think about it, are an interesting analogy. When you go to the doctor and weigh yourself, the way that a scale reads depends on which way you stand. Your weight can fluctuate depending on how you stand on the scale, which indicates that the scale is “sliding.” If you apply this to a therapeutic cost analysis here’s what it means: it is showing that a counselor or therapist is willing to adjust their rate depending upon how much money you can afford to pay per session. For example, you may be able to get a therapist near you who will take $25 per session. That may sound utterly ridiculous, but it does exist. Search to find a professional that you click with (whether that’s through an internet search engine or word-of-mouth.) Contact them individually via email or telephone and ask them if they work on a sliding scale. You may be surprised! Therapists go into this profession to help people, so money isn’t necessarily their game. They need to support their families, but many counselors (especially those just starting out) want experience working with clients
Graduate students in psychology
In order to complete a degree in psychology or other mental health related studies, a graduate student must do an internship. There are programs at universities where you can see a low-cost therapist who is in training. They are often confident and competent individuals even though they are just starting out. Also, students are often very passionate as they are so new to the profession and so eager to succeed. Consider going to someone that is connected with a university to receive treatment. Cost per session will be sufficiently less, or even free in some cases!
Low-cost mental health clinics
In the case where you do not have health insurance, which is unfortunately extremely common in the United States, a low-cost health clinic is a viable option where it will cost little for you to see a mental health provider. It’s advantageous because it services a variety of populations. Just because the clinic is low-cost, it does not mean that it is not professional or that it does not contain mental health counselors who are competent in their jobs. Consider finding a low-cost clinic in your area where you can receive the therapy or medication management that you need.
Online counseling
Getting counseling can be a tricky process, and if you live in a remote area, there may not be many therapy options for you. Whether you’re getting help for yourself or for you and your partner, there are few options for counseling in small towns. Another problem that comes with living in a small town is that everyone knows each other. For example, let’s say you go to the store and run into Fred. You and Fred grew up together and went to all the same schools in town. In addition to your past relationship with him, you also have an awkward connection with Fred. His cousin is your therapist. That is not an ideal situation. For people that live in small towns or areas without many mental health professionals, one great option is to try online counseling. When you see an online counselor, people in your area will not know that individual. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about gossip. An online counselor is dedicated and invested in helping you.
This is a featured post by site sponsor Better Help.
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