Nov. 15, 2024 – Searching for mental health care online? You’re not alone.
Many people start looking for help as days grow short, with online searches cresting in the fall and therapist visits often peaking in January – though a mental health care crisis can come at any time.
“This time around, I knew I needed help within the first week of being postpartum,” said Wendy Yuen, 35, of Racine, Wisconsin, who was diagnosed with postpartum depression.
While still pregnant, she had started looking for a medications management specialist by researching, making phone calls, and filling out forms. Her results: postponed appointments, unresponsive providers, and ultimately, canceled treatment.
“I was furious and felt defeated,” Yuen said. “It was a total failure, and I was back at square one.”
Acknowledging you need mental health care may seem like the biggest hurdle – until you try to find help. One out of five Americans have a mild to severe mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Less than half of those people receive treatment.
Finding a therapist can take time, likely months. What can you do now to help your mental health?
Start at the group level, said Sarah Ornst Bloomquist, a certified family life educator and executive director of Moms Mental Health Initiative in Southeast Wisconsin. “If you’re sitting on a waitlist somewhere, maybe try to find a local support group or even social group,” said Bloomquist, whose initiative focuses on providing local perinatal mental health care through peer support and qualified professionals.
“Being around others who are having similar experiences can be very healing and is much easier to access than mental health treatment,” she said. “It shouldn’t be so hard to find the right help, but as we work to change that, this is the best advice we can offer.”
Yuen attended an event hosted by the group and found help.
“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have found my current therapist, and I would still be waiting to see a psychiatrist,” she said. Their help “when I needed it most” spurred her to encourage others “to keep going and not to give up.”
Try these steps to find the right mental health care.
1. Be Specific in Your Search
Go ahead and start with Google, but “get as specific as possible,” said Joe Sanok, an author and founder of the podcast Practice of the Practice. Sanok, a former therapist, now helps therapists with the business side of their practices.
Typing details like “anxiety therapist for teens” and your ZIP code could provide good options, he said, but remember that therapists are better at therapy than at designing easily found websites. “Oftentimes, they aren’t putting a lot of time into marketing.”
That’s where directories, like those found on Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, TherapyDen, and Open Path Collective, can help, said Tiffany Jones, a sex and relationship therapist and founder of Inner Alchemy Counseling LLC. These searchable directories list information about specialties, location, insurance, and therapy types.
Be deliberate. “Taking the time to research and have initial consultations can make all the difference in finding a therapist who aligns with a client’s needs and preferences,” Jones said.
Local advocacy groups, like Moms Mental Health Initiative, are another avenue to connect with specialists who may otherwise be difficult to find or book.
Situations differ. For instance, the mental health conditions of women before and after birth “require an understanding of an array of physical, mental, and emotional experiences that come with pregnancy and the postpartum period,” Bloomquist said. “This can impact the style of therapy that’s helpful, the type of medication that’s prescribed, and the way additional resources are involved to support a perinatal person and their family.”
In all cases, you’ll want to assess the biographies of available therapists to find the right match.
2. Look for Green Flags and Avoid Red Flags
It can be daunting, studying a therapist’s profile, often full of initials and jargon. So start with qualifications and licenses, Jones said.
“Mention of ongoing education or certifications suggests a commitment to staying updated,” she said. Experience in handling a diverse population can show compassion and understanding for different cultures and a dedication to inclusivity.
Up-front disclosure about prices is a good thing: “Clear information about session costs, insurance, or sliding scale options reflects transparency and professionalism,” Jones said.
Red flags can include a lack of specific degrees, licenses, or certifications.
“Avoid therapists who claim to be ‘life coaches’ without formal mental health training, if you’re seeking therapy for serious concerns,” Jones said.
Claims of mental health cures or quick fixes could be scams. Look for expertise in evidence-based treatments, she said.
Reading reviews from current and former patients can help, “but take them with a grain of salt as individual experiences vary,” Jones said.
Narrow your choices, but not too much. You’ll want options for the next step.
3. Contact Multiple Therapists, Multiple Ways
Contacting three to five therapists at a time will increase your chances of landing an interview, Sanok said. This will make it easier to pivot if a professional isn’t available or responding to your messages.
Go the extra mile when sending messages, Sanok said.
“I would use every available communication tool they have,” he said. If there’s an email, phone number, and direct-message option listed, use all three. It sounds like a bit much, Sanok said, but that’s OK. You’re trying to get help.
Prepare to wait. “Early on, when it was just me,” Sanok said, “it would be three or four days before I would even return a phone call.”
Once someone calls you back, be ready to answer questions like:
- Who is this therapy for (individual, couple, or family)?
- Is there a history of diagnosed mental disease?
- What do you expect out of therapy?
Try to keep it simple and avoid “trauma dumping” on the first phone call, Sanok suggested. Using terms like “toxic relationships,” “family trauma,” or “grief counseling” can help a therapist assess the situation.
It’s important for you to feel comfortable, said Jones. Feel free to ask questions about cost, approach, or experience. “Therapy is an investment in yourself, so it’s worth it to find someone who genuinely understands and supports you,” she said.
You can ask the therapist questions such as:
- How do you structure your sessions?
- How do you measure progress in therapy?
- Have you worked with clients from my cultural background or identity?
- What are your fees, and do you accept insurance?
4. Research Payment Options
Check your insurance. Find out if mental health is covered and what providers are in your network. You’re 3.5 times more likely to find out-of-network care for mental or behavioral care than medical or surgical care, according to a 2024 study.
Insurance reimbursements for mental health care visits remain low. Many therapists have shed insurance relationships to charge more to keep up with inflating costs.
Still, therapists want to help people. It’s worth asking out-of-network providers about a sliding scale for financially strapped patients.
If your in-network options fail, check your policies for out-of-network mental health care, Sanok said. This could mean paying the bill in full while waiting for reimbursement from your insurance. Not everyone has that financial flexibility.
There are third-party businesses like Mentaya, Reimbursify, and Thrizer that submit patients’ out-of-network claims to insurance companies. They take a fee from the reimbursement and/or the therapist for handling the paperwork. One of these companies could help you navigate out-of-network claims.
Advocacy groups are another place to find affordable care. For example, Nuçi’s Space, based in Athens, Georgia, focuses on preventing suicide through low-cost mental health care for local musicians. “We primarily focus on musicians, but everyone is welcome,” said Saskia Thompson, the wellness advocate for Nuçi’s Space, which can help steer insured clients through the process or find ways to assist uninsured clients, like $15 therapy sessions.
Sometimes – as with medical care – finding help might mean going into debt.
Of the 100 million Americans in medical debt, an estimated 20% are paying off mental health services, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation 2022 poll.
While Yuen sought affordable mental health care, there was a point where she decided she might have to go on a payment plan.
“I was getting worse by the day, and everything was beginning to become less manageable for me in my everyday life,” she said. “So I decided it was more important to get help and deal with the financial repercussions later.” Yuen found an affordable solution through the advocacy group, but it took time.
5. Decide if a Therapist Is a Good Fit
Your search isn’t over when you step into your first consultation.
“In some ways, it’s like a dating relationship,” Sanok said. Often, it takes more than two or three meetings to decide if this therapist is your therapist.
Sanok cycled through several therapists before finding his current one. The other providers weren’t bad at their job. They just weren’t what he was looking for, he said.
“If they’re not a fit, you have every right not to go,” Sanok said.
It’s normal to explore different options, Jones said. Take time to reflect on the session afterward. Did you feel uneasy or uncomfortable about a specific part of the therapy? “Was it their therapeutic approach, communication style, availability, or something else?” she said.
Some people respond better to group therapy than individual therapy, Jones said. Others find nontraditional specialties, like art therapy, a better fit.
If you’re willing, mention your concerns to your trial therapist. “They might be able to adjust their approach or even recommend a colleague who might suit you better,” Jones said.
It’s OK to keep looking for a better match. “Trust your gut when assessing if someone feels right for you,” she said.
But don’t cancel an appointment for shallow reasons or because of snap judgments.
“Sometimes, a therapist might challenge you in uncomfortable but productive ways,” Jones said. “However, there’s a difference between constructive discomfort and feeling unheard or invalidated.”
It helps to remember why you’re on this journey, Yuen said.
“Getting the help you need is not only for yourself; it is also for your loved ones,” she said. “Every time I had to do something in order to move forward with finding a therapist or psychiatrist, I just kept reminding myself that this version of me is not who I want my children to remember.”
“I want to be the best mother I can be for my kids, and in order to do that, I need to take care of myself too.”
