2020:
- a global pandemic
- recession
- isolation
- protests
- fascism
- wildfires
- election
AND uncertainty around every corner…no wonder you’re having a lot of feelings!
We’ve all see the memes, graphs, and graphics of our collective emotional experience during 2020. This is no joke.
I know teachers heading back into the school year stressed about the choices their governers, school districts, and principles will impose on them. And small business owners attempting to make plans and adjust to the ever-changing landscape of knowledge, facts, and recommendations. Protesters having flashbacks of police brutality and nightmares of loved ones not coming home.
Personally, I’ve had days when chilling at home has felt like a gift and days where I felt so unseen that I felt like the tears would never stop.
Mental health support feels like a need. But how do you even begin to look for a therapist?
Below are some key things to help you ease into the world of mental health and find the right support to get you through to New Years.
Google Search: “your issue” + “counseling” + “zipcode”
Let’s say you’re looking for a therapist who treats eating disorders. Typing into Google, “eating disorder therapist, Portland Oregon” is going to get you a pretty good list of people you’re looking for. But what if it’s more general than that? Is there such thing as a “pandemic therapist?!” hint: at this point, we’re all pandemic therapists.
Ask friends and family
It’s very likely that someone in your trusted circle of friends has seen a therapist or knows someone who is a therapist. We’re everywhere! Just by asking someone, you are often able to get connected to a therapist who you can trust pretty easily. I asked a family member to get therapist recommendations from her therapist and I found the best one ever!
Online Platforms and Directories
Places like Psychology Today and Therapy Den are great places to find a ton of mental health professionals in your area. Here’s a link to my Psychology Today profile. It’s a great place to get a snapshot of a lot of different therapists in one spot.
My profile will give you a taste of who I
am, but my website is where my energy’s at.
You’ll connect with me, understand how I work and who I work with. So once you have a few quality candidates, make sure you check out their websites and get a real feel.
Your Insurance Company
This is usually one of the first steps people try, but honestly, it may not always be best. First, tons of therapists are on insurance panels 🙋🏻.
Picture shooting fish from a barrel, how do you know what you’re going to get?!
It’s better to find a therapist that is good for you rather than a therapist that is good for your insurance company.
My thinking is it’s better to find a therapist that is good for you rather than a therapist that is good for your insurance company.
Ask your Primary Care Practioner
In an ideal world, this option could be first.
But here in the US, physical health medicine has really moved away from mental health.
Even still, every medical office should have referrals and ways to seek mental health services.
About the Author
Stassi is a Licensed Professional Counselor serving ambitious womxn in the Portland-metro area. She believes connection is the driving force to healing and therapy creates the building blocks for change.
Stassi got her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Oregon in Psychology. She then attended Columbia University where she earned a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, a Master of Education in Psychological Counseling, and specialized in Multicultural Counseling.
