How To Find A Therapist

So you’re ready to work on something with a pro. We’ll guide you through the mental health maze.

- Andrea Petersen

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT mental health are finally coming out of the shadows. Celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Bell, and Busy Philipps have shared stories of their anxiety and depression in interviews and on social media. The suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have again moved the issues of psychological pain and suicide into public discussion. Mental health awareness campaigns pepper our social media feeds. And the main message to all us unfamous folks who may be struggling usually goes something like this: Get help. Get therapy.

But how? And where?

Unfortunately, finding the right therapist and treatment isn’t always easy, especially if you’re at an emotional low point. Google “psychotherapy” and you’ll find a confusing alphabet soup of acronyms—ACT, CBT, and DBT, to name a few—for the various types of treatments. Even if you know the kind of therapy you want, it can be hard to access it: 55 percent of counties in the U.S. have no psychiatrists, psychologists, or social workers, and sadly, many people don’t get professional help at all. Only about 37 percent of those with anxiety disorders, for example, receive treatment, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).

The good news: If you do see a qualified therapist, chances are you’ll find it helpful. Many talk therapy treatments are backed by reams of rigorous clinical trial data. In fact, studies have shown that, for conditions like anxiety and depression, talk therapies are generally as effective as psychotropic medications, with fewer side effects and longer lasting impact. (That said, many patients benefit greatly from taking medication or from combining meds with therapy.)