5 Things Therapists Want You To Know About Mental Health: Mental Health Awareness Month
As Mental Health Awareness month draws to a close, we think it’s the perfect time to bust some mental health stigma and talk about ten things therapists wish people knew about mental health.
Affordable therapy is here. For decades, mental health care was almost always not covered by health insurance and, as a result, was prohibitively expensive for many people. However, thanks to mental health parity laws of the past twenty or so years, all major insurance plans cover mental health care! Depending on your plan, you might be covered in full, you may have a co-pay, or you might have to meet a deductible amount. To find out exactly what therapy will cost you, call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card and inquire about your benefits. Your insurance company’s website and PsychologyToday can also help you find a local therapist who accepts your insurance. Don’t have insurance? Many local colleges and universities offer free therapy to the community as part of their mental health counseling graduate programs. Looking for free therapy in Oakland County, MI? Check out the Oakland University SEHS counseling center: https://www.oakland.edu/counseling/sehs-cc/
Therapy is not just for serious mental health concerns. While those with serious mental health diagnoses should absolutely seek care, counseling can benefit anyone! Some people might think that their struggles “aren’t bad enough” or “other people have it worse” or “therapy is for crazy people.” Not true! Many therapists specialize in things like career counseling, postpartum and family planning, stress management, life transitions, and more. Therapy is a resource for anyone to use, and going to that first appointment doesn’t mean you’re in therapy forever. Your therapist will create a treatment plan to help you reach your goals and get you back on your feet as soon as possible.
Medication is a teammate, not an opponent. Recent years have brought many new and improved medications to market. Taking a mental health medication is no longer rare, and there’s no shame in taking that step to care for your mental health! Therapists are trained to determine when medication would be beneficial for their clients and refer them to qualified providers who can assess and write prescriptions for medications. Studies show again and again that medication combined with therapy yields the best results, so why not explore your options?
You are in control of your therapy experience. Many of us have the idea that going to therapy means submitting to the care of one all-knowledgeable provider. That is absolutely not the case! Feeling a comfortable connection with your therapist is paramount, and you are well within your rights to request a referral or in-office transfer to another therapist if you don’t feel the connection after a few sessions. You get to decide what goals you want to work on, and how long you want to be in therapy. Being in control also means that no therapist can magically fix your problems and achieve your goals - you have to put in the work, too, by being honest with yourself and your therapist in session and following through with your work in between appointments.
You might feel worse before you feel better. Therapy can bring up processing past traumatic experiences, discovering unknown parts of your personality, re-evaluating relationships, and making meaning of your past. All these things can make you feel emotional and overwhelmed! A good therapist will help you feel safe and in control as you process these hard feelings, and in time, you’ll use all the insights and self-awareness you gain to improve your life and feel better again. Therapy can be hard work, but it’s worth it.
We hope you learned a little something about therapy through this article! If you’re interested in starting therapy, look around our website and send us a message to get started with an experienced, empathetic AWC counselor today. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!
