Ready to work on your mental health? Here’s how to find a therapist in Kentucky
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Ready to work on your mental health? Here’s how to find a therapist in Kentucky
We failed Nikki James. And her kids. And all the other victims of domestic violence.
So, you’ve decided to look for counseling to improve your mental health. You’re not alone.
According to the American Psychological Association, demand for mental health treatment continues to increase.
Sourcing data from psychologists themselves, the APA reports that in 2021, the number of psychologists who reported receiving more referrals almost doubled from 2020 (from 37% in 2020 to 62% in 2021). Almost seven in 10 psychologists (68%) with a waitlist reported it had grown longer since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ultimately, however, choosing a therapist is a very personal decision, and it may take a while to find the right counselor for you.
Keeping that in mind, here are tips to help speed along your journey to improve your mental health.
We asked Dr. Steve Johnson, a social worker and associate professor at psychiatry at the University of Kentucky, for tips about finding a therapist, the different approaches to counseling and what they mean and where to find services on a sliding scale based on your income.
What’s the first step to finding mental health counseling?
If you have health insurance, you’ll want to start by checking the back of your insurance card for information about behavioral health and where to find a list of in-network providers near you to help save you money.
If you don’t have health insurance, Johnson recommends seeking out a community mental health center (CMHC).
According to the website Open Counseling, CMHCs in Kentucky are publicly funded outpatient programs that work with people in the counties they serve – with a special focus on those who lack the financial means to access mental health services in the private sector.
Kentucky CMHCs offer sliding-scale fees to people who don’t have insurance. What that means is what you pay to receive therapy or other services will depend on your income level.
You can find a list of these county-based centers for Kentucky, including numbers for their emergency and non-emergency phone lines, at kypartnership.org/resources.
What’s the best way to go about finding the right therapist?
This can be tricky because it varies person to person, but Johnson recommends keeping in mind that “you’re not choosing a best friend.”
“You’re going to a professional individual that’s going to help guide you, work with you,” Johnson said.
The therapist might need to push you at times to get you to challenge your thinking. You need to be aware of that and find someone you’ll feel comfortable being challenged by.
A good tip is to start with recommendations from a friend who likes a particular counselor or even your primary care doctor, Johnson said.
Once you have a name, reach out to their office and ask what kind of credentials the therapist has. Johnson advises you make sure to check the provider is a board-certified counselor. You can verify what the office tells you by reaching out to the provider’s certifying agency or simply punching their name into the board’s website.
Doing that should tell you if the counselor is in good standing or even if they’ve been named in any recent lawsuits, Johnson said.
Second, you’ll want to be aware of the particular approach to therapy the provider practices. Admittedly, this is where things can get complicated. Psychological theory and the approaches it informs can vary widely.
For people experiencing more pronounced mental health problems, like depression, Johnson recommends asking if the therapist practices cognitive behavioral therapy specifically. This is an approach to therapy where the clinician tries to get the patient to reframe and challenge their negative thought patterns, with the idea being that a change in how we think leads to a change in how we behave.
For those interested in therapy more so as a pathway to self-discovery and understanding, Johnson recommends what’s often called “insight-oriented therapy.” This is a psychoanalytic approach that unlocks insight through the Socratic method – meaning the therapist will ask you questions, help you connect the dots and offer their own observations.
Finally, for those who are experiencing a particular kind of trauma, Johnson recommends considering a specialist. For example, a counselor who treats a lot of LGBTQ individuals and is sensitive to that particular set of issues.
“You want someone that you feel like understands your issues,” Johnson said, adding that ultimately, you should go with whoever makes you feel like you’re both “working towards the same goal.”
Do you have a question about mental health or other community health resources in Kentucky? We’d like to hear from you. Email ask@herald-leader.com or fill out the form below.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Ready to work on your mental health? Here’s how to find a therapist in Kentucky."