11/20/2020
As the pandemic continues, holidays are approaching and personal stressors remain high, I'm getting many emails and phone calls asking about how to get started in therapy. Many people are reaching out for help for the first time. I want you to know that you are brave and strong for reaching out and here is a list of how to do so to make the process feel less anxiety producing.
Q: How do I get started in therapy?
A: 1) Find a therapist that you feel is a good fit for you. You can do this by searching local therapy groups and reading each profile. You can also go to psychologytoday.com and search a variety of profiles.
2) Call you insurance to ask what your deductible and copay is as well as if the therapist you want to see is in network. You can also check to see if your work offers employee assistance programs(EAP), which gives you a couple sessions free.
3) Decide if you want to use insurance, EAP or do out of pocket pay.
4) Call or email your therapist of choice to set up your first session.
Q: What can I expect the first session?
A: If you are using insurance the first session is a diagnostic assessment. This means your therapist is gathering information on your symptoms, history, current stress, etc to help know how to help you best.
If you are choosing out of pocket, you may or may not choose to not complete an assessment. If you choose not to, you will start therapy the first session.
If you are choosing EAP, no assessment will be completed and you will start solution focused therapy based on your immediate concerns.
Q: After the assessment is complete, what happens next?
A: At the end of your first session, you will make a plan with your therapist to decide how soon you will be seen again and how often you will have sessions. Typically this is every week or every other week when you are first starting.
After the assessment is complete, you and your therapist will get started on working on helping you feel better by processing emotions, learning how to stop negative thoughts, getting more coping skills etc. Your therapist will tailor their approach based on your needs.
Hope this helps you get started! It is important to take care of yourself and your mental health.