Written by Sheila Alarcon, a NAMI CC 2024 Summer Intern

Looking for a therapist might sound as easy as typing “therapy near me” in the search engine, but how do you really find a therapist for you or a loved one? There are a lot of factors that go into finding therapy, such as economic worries, the type of therapy you are searching for, and even understanding credentials. Additionally, there are resources and benefits that many folks are not aware of. Here, a little bit of everything will be explained to aid your search. 

Table of Contents

What is SSI and SSDI? 

Programs under the Social Security Administration such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSDI), are programs beneficial to people from a low income background who can no longer support themselves through work due to a long-lasting medical condition. Applying to these programs can ease the financial stress that paying for medical bills can cause. To understand the difference between these two separate programs, let’s take a look at them individually. SSI is strictly need-based, which means that it is available to low-income folks who haven’t earned enough “work credits” to qualify for SSDI. To qualify, they must be older than 65 years of age, have been blind from any age, have a disability, or have limited income and resources. Those qualified for SSI are also most likely to be qualified for Medicaid and food stamps. SSDI, which is funded through payroll taxes, is available to those from ages 18 to 65 who have earned sufficient work credits and have a disability, as defined by Social Security. After 24 months of receiving SSDI, the receiver will be eligible for Medicare. The receiver’s spouse and dependents will be eligible to receive auxiliary benefits, known as partial dependent benefits. For more information and how to apply, the Social Security Administration website, ssa.org, is a good place to look. 

Medicaid is a health care program for folks with limited income and resources, which pays for various medical services. In California, Medi-Cal, is the corresponding medicaid program. On the other hand, Medicare is an insurance program that is federally funded and is available for those who are 65 years of age or older. One thing to keep in mind is that Medicare does not cover 100% of all medical costs, but there are supplemental Medicare-related insurance products for purchase that could help reduce the cost. 

Finding therapy with no insurance can be hard, as out of pocket pay can be very expensive, creating a barrier to access to health care. If you don’t have any insurance, you can apply for medicaid. To apply for medicaid, or if you’re in California, Medi-Cal, there are three options: applying by mail, in person, or online. There are certain therapy resources that take medicaid, easing this financial stress. Services offered that are covered by Medi-Cal include inpatient and outpatient mental health services, outpatient specialty mental health services, outpatient substance use disorder services, voluntary inpatient detoxification, and residential treatment services. In the county of Contra Costa, if you have Medi-Cal or Medicare, you can access behavioral health services through the East County Adult Mental Health Services, Central County Adult Mental Health Services, and the West County Adult Mental Health Services, depending on what area is more convenient for you. These three clinics provide psychiatric emergency services, mental health care, various forms of counseling, evaluations, medications, and even case management. This program provides these services at a low cost, and is available not only for adults with a mental illness, but also the caregivers. 

Picture of NAMI staff signing up for Medi-Cal. 

Understanding The Types of Therapy Offered 

Upon hearing the word “therapy,” the first thing that most people think about is a person sitting across a dull office space with a pen and notepad in hand, ready to hear you talk. But actually, therapy is much more than that. It is a medical treatment tailored to your own needs, with the guidance of a professional. Before understanding the different types of therapy offered, it is vital to understand the different types of professionals who can help and their credentials. When searching for therapy, there are several titles for professionals who can help: a psychologist, a therapist, a counselor, and a psychiatrist. A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology who diagnoses disorders, makes referrals, comes up with treatment plans, and identifies both behavioral and emotional problems of their patient. A therapist has a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling and/or therapy, delivers evidence based therapy techniques, and holds weekly sessions with their patients. A counselor, similar to a therapist, is usually short term in comparison to a therapist and instead offers targeted support. Lastly, a psychiatrist holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) title, has clinical training, can prescribe medication, and holds sessions with their patients only on an as needed basis. When searching for therapy, it can also be helpful to schedule an informational interview, in order to get a feel for what interacting with the professional is like. 

There are various forms of therapy that are offered according to one’s needs and/or diagnosis. A commonly used form is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is used by a therapist, in order to work on unhealthful thoughts that cause self-destructive behaviors, and instead focus on building constructive thinking skills. Within CBT, there is exposure therapy, which is used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and phobias, by determining what it is that triggers anxiety. Similarly, therapists may also use dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), as a way to develop skills that bridge uncomfortable thoughts with change and acceptance. Other forms of therapy include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), which can be a bit more difficult to find and on the expensive side but has strong evidence for treating trauma or other challenging conditions successfully. Interpersonal therapy, mentalization-based therapy, psychodynamic therapy, animal-assisted therapy, emotion-focused therapy (EFT), family therapy, group therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, creative arts therapy, and play therapy, are all additional forms of therapy available depending on the patient’s diagnosis or needs. 

Benefits of Therapy

Each separate type of therapy has its own set of benefits, which is why it is tailored to specific needs. One of the most common types of therapy, psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, has many benefits that will be further discussed. These benefits include: gaining confidence to improve communication skills, successfully resolving any conflict, treatment of mental illness, gaining self awareness to improve overall health, improving relationships with friends and family, gaining a skill set for coping mechanisms and setting boundaries, finding a positive support system, building and maintaining strong relationships, transforming negative emotions into positive ones, and increasing productivity at work and in your personal life. Just like every body responds to a medication in a different way, these benefits may or may not be acquired by everyone, and the time frame in which results can be seen will vary. It is important to note that therapy takes time and patience. I would personally advise to stick to one professional for a few sessions before switching to a new one, as progress is hard to decipher after a single session. 

Resources 

There are online resources available, such as psychologytoday.com, which make searching for a therapist easier. To narrow down the search once in the webpage, you can pick between searching for a therapist, psychiatrist, treatment center, or support group, as well as the city in which you are seeking help. There are also many filters that will further help you narrow down the search, such as gender, medical degrees and credentials and specialties of the professional, as well as in-person versus online treatment, your insurance type, type of therapy that you are looking for, your age, ethnicity, sexuality, language, faith, and even price range for individuals or for couples. 

Screenshot of Medi-Cal Therapists in Contra Costa County, CA search on pyschologytoday.com. 

My Therapy Search Experience  

In my experience, I didn’t realize that I needed therapy until I began to talk about it with a friend who had been through the process themselves. Knowing where to start was difficult, as it was all new to me, but fortunately I was able to find assistance through my university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). I was given the option of in-person therapy or virtual therapy; and I opted for the latter. I was terrified of the thought of having to sit in front of a stranger, which made online therapy very appealing to me. Navigating the website was like browsing for a potential date. Each therapist available had a small autobiography that I was able to read and determine if their values and approaches aligned with what I believed would be the best fit for me at that time. The process of selecting a therapist was not as intimidating as I thought it would be. I was given the choice of picking someone who I believed would be a good match, without the fear that I would have to be stuck with them if I didn’t like them, because the possibility of switching therapists later on was there. As I navigated through each session, I gained tools that I could use in my everyday life, and could even teach others. After working with my therapist for a while, I noticed that I wasn’t as anxious about my diagnosis as I was before I started. My mood began to elevate and I was doing better in social outings. This also  aided the succeeding conversations that I was having regarding mental health with myself, my peers, and loved ones. 

Conclusion

In sum, therapy is a tool that is used by a variety of professionals within the behavioral health field. It is a means for one’s mental well being-no diagnosis required. Just as various mental illnesses exist, there are also various types of therapy that help with those diagnoses, such as the most common ones like psychotherapy, CBT, and DBT. Everyone’s path to finding suitable therapy is different as there are many factors that play a key role in searching. If qualified, there are programs such as SSI and SSDI that can help with getting medical insurance like Medicare or Medi-Cal, in California. There are also online resources, like pyschologytoday.com, that can help with searching for a therapist from the comfort of your own home. As mentioned previously, the results gained from the use of therapy will vary from person to person and will not always be the same; however with dedication and patience, you may experience throughout your journey to a flourishing new lifestyle. 

References

Should you see a therapist, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist?. Keeping Tempo. (n.d.). https://blog.findoctave.com/should-you-see-a-therapist-a-psychologist-or-a-psychiatrist?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CAPMax&utm_content=PMAXCA&utm_term=&d=c&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC9IUD3UfneCzh9ejzpjlNBoaW6W3&gclid=CjwKCAjwqf20BhBwEiwAt7dtdRVzNpaNuNxJ78R-oKo2ccE9FFKZlvpERgJF_8YQV1X2jXd0Rq9AQBoCMMEQAvD_BwE 

Medicare and Medi-Cal. CA.gov. (n.d.). https://seniors.insurance.ca.gov/hc/Medicare-and-MediCal.cfm#:~:text=Medi%2DCal%20is%20California’s%20Medicaid,eligible%20participants%2065%20or%20over. 

Muraskin, A. (2023, July 2). A step-by-step guide to finding a therapist. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/02/1185661348/start-therapy-find-therapist-how-to 

Rosenblatt, K. (2021, October 18). 12 rewarding benefits of therapy. Talkspace. https://www.talkspace.com/blog/benefits-of-therapy/ 

Smith Haghighi, A. (2020, June 30). Types of therapy: For anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD and more. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-therapy 

SSI vs. SSDI: The Differences, Benefits, and How to Apply. The National Council on Aging. (2023, December 11). https://www.ncoa.org/article/ssi-vs-ssdi-what-are-these-benefits-how-they-differ 

WebMD. (2023, July 8). What is a psychologist? what they do, when to see one, and what to expect. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-psychologist