I need a therapist! How do I find one?
Are you stressed, depressed, or have anxiety? Are you dealing with micro-aggressions at work or in the community, discrimination because of how you look, grief, or trauma? I have experienced most of these things. May is mental health awareness month, and I thought 🙇🏾💭 it would be good to dive into accessing therapy and mental health services.
Mental health is highly stigmatized. For example Namoi Osaka decided to drop out of the French Open due to concerns about her mental health. Now how did mental illness or mental health become a mark of disgrace? Was it the community? Was it the church? Was it convincing that you are not crazy, nothing is wrong with you, just tough it out, or abuse and trauma are expected? Or is this how it is? People keep up appearances and don't want the "stigma" of being seen or called crazy. Or some people do like to be called crazy, as they see it as a thrill they may say, "you know I am crazy, right." We often want these pictures perfect, keeping up with the Jones's, Cosby Show, Living Single, The Real Housewives of (Insert your City) lives, but does your mental health match your physical health?
How many times in your black household have you heard, "What happens in this house stays in this house." There it is, there is the STIGMA, the "disgrace." Or taking into account Namoi Osaka she decided to drop out of the French Open and she is monetary being penalized and highly criticized. If your depression, molestation, or anxiety can't leave the house, how are you supposed to open up and talk to a therapist or psychiatrist? Well, that generational curse of thinking has to be broken; of course, some family matters are private, but some things need to be addressed head-on. I think the new generational quote should be, "Whatever dysfunction happens in this house goes and gets therapy."
Have you ever sought out help for your mental health? How do you seek help for your mental health? Like where do you even start? Let me say this: if you got shot, would you go to the hospital or stay home and bleed to death? The same analogy applies to your mental health; experiencing PTSD and trauma damages your mental health, and you have to seek help for it or become damaged and crippled on the inside. If you have ever seen someone physically disabled on the outside like they are walking with a limp or using a wheelchair, that is what one may be experiencing on the inside, they are mentally disabled, and their mind is confined.
How do you seek therapy or psychiatric services? Well let me take you along my journey and how I sought out mental health wholeness in therapy
The first thing in accessing services for mental health is to determine if you need a psychiatrist or a therapist or both. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that prescribes medications they evaluate you and assess to determine the proper remedy, typically medicines for you to take.
A therapist does not prescribe medications as a psychiatrist does. Therapists are not licensed to prescribe medication; their role is to help you process your feelings, and gain coping skills, like why you get upset when, or why do you become sad when, or why do your romantic relationships fail. A therapist helps you overcome hurdles like grief, communication, or addiction; they provide you with the tools and coping skills to get through your anxiety, depression, or whatever you are dealing with at the moment.
I saw this statement on Twitter by Natasha Sonia Alford of The Grio. She stated, "finding a black therapist *within your insurance provider network… Let's discuss, and it continues, "the hoops + red tape you have to go through to find the right therapist can make you want to give up altogether, especially if you're already in a vulnerable state.
Natasha's statement rang so true, especially if you have never sought out mental health services before, or let's rename it to whole health wellness. When I began my journey of seeking a therapist, I went straight to my insurance provider, and I had a few referrals by word of mouth. I knew the therapist I wanted to try, but I needed to see if they took my insurance. I called the therapist office to see if they took my insurance, and yes they did, but that didn't even matter because for my insurance to cover it I had to meet my deductible (insert eye roll 🙄) so I couldn't utilize my insurance because I had to meet my insurance deductible. The next option was paying out of pocket. I have a health savings account that deducts money from my paycheck bi-weekly to cover medical expenses such as therapy. Even though I had insurance, my insurance did not cover the cost of attending therapy for free, but my health savings account would cover the cost. If your insurance covers the cost of therapy consider yourself blessed.
(Aht Act don't let barriers interfere with your path to wholeness)
Continuing with my journey, I called the therapist's office and gave my information. I told the office assistant I wanted a black female therapist, and she identified a black female therapist. It is your absolute right to ask for a specific gender or race of a therapist. So don't feel discouraged if you call an office and don't have black therapists, male or female; that means your search continues. After my therapist was identified, the office assistant sent me an assessment to fill out; the assessment evaluation is very detailed, they dig deep with questions. The assessment evaluation will ask a lot of questions, and finally, they ask you why are you attending therapy? I could give a dissertation like I am a black woman in Amerikkka…lol so after you finish filling out your assessment, you are then scheduled for your initial appointment. The fee for my therapy session is currently $75.00 per session, and I attend therapy bi-weekly, so I spend $150 per month for therapy. You can set your own schedule; you can go weekly, biweekly, or 1x per month, whatever you think you need and whatever your budget will allow. The process of access can be tedious, but once you get past the red tape or at least your foot in the door, as Natasha from the Grio so eloquently stated, especially when you are grieving or depressed, think of the wholeness you are accessing and entering the journey of wellness.
Accessing the service is the first step; the next step is determining how you will pay for it; if your insurance does not cover it, don't let money be why you suffer in silence or wallow in grief. If you are not insured or underinsured, don't let that discourage you. My first recommendation for finding a therapist is word of mouth. Ask friends or colleagues for recommendations on locating a therapist like, hey, I'm looking for or if you feel uncomfortable self-identifying that you need therapy, say, hey, I have a friend looking for a black female therapist you know anyone. (Word of mouth) is still the best resource. If money is a barrier below are some resources that may be able to assist.
Here are some resources I recommend as you explore your whole health wellness, which will assist in identifying the type of therapist you will need.
Therapy for Black Girls is an awesome resource specifically for black women.
Therapy for Black Men is a great resource specifically for black men.
Psychologytoday.com is a great resource to find a therapist in your zip code.
Another way to access whole health wellness is through your employer. Most companies offer Employee Assistance Programs or better known as (EAP); under EAP, your employer should be able to provide a mental health therapist. EAP is typically limited to 6 sessions; for example, if one of your co-workers dies, EAP is offered, or now as we were experiencing a pandemic with COVID-19, EAP could be utilized FREE of charge.
Please know that EAP is confidential, so your boss or co-workers will not know just your HR dept because you are accessing it through your employer. If you do not want to use your employer, there are more alternatives to access, like with the new wave of technology, there are online therapists you can connect with virtually.
Here are some online therapy providers that I recommend to seek your preference to utilize therapy for whole health wellness.
Betterhelp.com 👩🏾💻
The virtual therapy alternatives above can be more affordable because some virtual therapists do not have the overhead expenses of office space; you can do virtual therapy from the comfort of your home or wherever you have WI-FI just by logging on.
Ok, the therapist's price range is still out of reach; you can ask for a sliding scale fee, a sliding scale fee, is maybe you are on a fixed income like you can pay $40.00 per session, but not $55.00 or $60.00 per session. Before you sign up, inquire about the process of a sliding scale fee. Or if your budget is tight going to your local university where the students are training to become therapists.
Suppose you are not quite ready to dive into therapy or be prescribed medication by a psychiatrist. In that case, there are plenty of free apps that you could utilize in the meantime if you are not ready to do therapy virtually or see a psychiatrist or can't afford one at this time.
Here are some health and wellness apps you could utilize:
Calm: for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation Mindfulness App
Liberate: it's a meditation app specifically for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Community.
Headspace: A guided meditation app.
Insight Timer: a comprehensive meditation app to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
Chopra: Well-Being Guide Holistic Self-Care
I hope this helps, if you have any questions DM me
Let me know how you do on your path to wholeness.
XOXO
#BGUC