Getting mental health help starts with identifying what you need, then finding a provider who fits your situation and budget. That can feel overwhelming when you’re already struggling, so here’s a practical walkthrough of each step, from figuring out what kind of professional to see to preparing for your first appointment.
Recognize What You’re Looking For
Before searching for a provider, it helps to get a rough sense of what you’re dealing with. You don’t need a self-diagnosis. You just need enough clarity to point yourself in the right direction. Two widely used screening tools can help. The PHQ-9 measures depression symptoms by asking how often over the past two weeks you’ve experienced things like low energy, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in activities. The GAD-7 does the same for anxiety, covering symptoms like uncontrollable worrying, restlessness, and feeling on edge. Both are free, available online, and take about two minutes. Your scores won’t give you a diagnosis, but they give you language to describe what’s happening when you talk to a provider, and many therapists use these same tools during intake.
Know Which Type of Professional You Need
The mental health field has several types of providers, and they aren’t interchangeable. Choosing the right one depends on whether you think you need medication, talk therapy, or both.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who completed medical school and then three to four additional years of residency in psychiatry. They can prescribe medication. Their training focuses primarily on the biological side of mental illness. Some also do talk therapy, but many primarily manage medications and refer out for therapy.
Psychologists hold doctoral degrees (PhD, PsyD, or EdD), which typically require four to six years of academic study plus one to two years of supervised clinical work. Their training emphasizes research-backed therapeutic approaches. In most states, psychologists cannot prescribe medication, though a small number of states allow it with additional training.
Licensed clinical social workers hold a master’s degree in social work and complete two to three years of supervised clinical practice after graduation. They’re trained to do psychotherapy and are particularly skilled at connecting people with community resources and support services. They cannot prescribe medication.
If you’re unsure whether you need medication, starting with a psychologist or social worker is a reasonable first step. They can refer you to a psychiatrist later if medication seems appropriate.
Find a Provider That Fits
Several online directories let you search for therapists by location, insurance, specialty, and personal preferences. Therapy Den offers over 140 filters so you can narrow results by issue, identity, and approach. Headway is popular for searching by insurance provider specifically. Choosing Therapy lets you filter by therapeutic technique, specialty, and symptoms. Psychology Today’s directory is another well-known option with broad coverage.
When filtering results, prioritize three things: whether the therapist accepts your insurance, whether they have experience with your specific concern (anxiety, trauma, relationship issues), and whether their availability matches yours. Many directories also let you filter by session format, so you can find providers who offer video sessions if getting to an office is a barrier.
Understand Common Therapy Approaches
Not all therapy works the same way. Three of the most common evidence-based approaches are worth understanding so you can have an informed conversation with a potential therapist about their methods.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on the connection between your thought patterns, behaviors, and symptoms. You’ll work with your therapist to identify unhelpful thoughts and triggers, set specific goals, and practice new behaviors between sessions. CBT is used for depression, insomnia, substance use, anxiety, and many other conditions. It tends to be structured and goal-oriented, often running 12 to 20 sessions.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) teaches skills for managing intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. It typically combines weekly individual sessions with a weekly skills group where you learn and practice coping techniques. Homework is a regular part of it. DBT is commonly used for borderline personality disorder, PTSD, depression, substance use, and relationship difficulties.
EMDR is designed to reduce the distress attached to traumatic memories. During a session, you recall a traumatic event while following a back-and-forth visual cue, like a therapist’s moving finger or a light. Over time, the emotional charge of the memory decreases, and you begin associating positive thoughts with the event instead. It’s most commonly used for PTSD.
Figure Out How to Pay
The average cost of therapy in the United States ranges from $100 to $250 per session, depending on location, therapist credentials, and the type of therapy. That’s for a session lasting roughly 50 minutes to an hour. Insurance can significantly reduce that number, and federal law is on your side.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires insurance plans to cover mental health benefits with the same copays, coinsurance, and visit limits they apply to medical and surgical care. Your plan can’t charge you a higher copay for a therapy visit than it would for a specialist medical visit in the same benefit category. It also can’t impose stricter prior authorization requirements on mental health care than it does on comparable medical care. If your plan covers outpatient medical visits, it must cover outpatient therapy on similar terms.
Before booking an appointment, call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask specifically about your mental health benefits: what your copay is, whether you need a referral, and whether the provider you’re considering is in-network.
If You Don’t Have Insurance or Can’t Afford Your Copay
Many therapists offer sliding scale fees, adjusting their rate based on your income. Ask about this directly when you first contact a provider. It’s a normal question they hear regularly.
Federally Qualified Health Centers provide primary care and mental health services regardless of your ability to pay. These centers exist in every state and serve people who are uninsured or underinsured. You can find one near you through the Health Resources and Services Administration website (findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov).
If you’re employed, check whether your company offers an Employee Assistance Program. EAPs provide free, short-term counseling as a workplace benefit. Services are confidential, meaning your employer won’t know you used them, except in rare situations required by law (generally limited to safety concerns). EAPs are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can also refer you to longer-term care if needed.
Open Path Collective, a nonprofit, connects people to therapists who offer sessions between $30 and $80 after a one-time membership fee. University training clinics, where graduate students provide therapy under close supervision, often charge $10 to $30 per session.
Prepare for Your First Appointment
Your first session is an intake appointment, and it’s longer and more structured than regular sessions. The therapist is trying to understand your full picture, so expect questions across several areas.
You’ll be asked to describe the main reasons you’re seeking help, how long the problem has been going on, and whether you were referred by someone. Most intake forms include standardized screening questions about depression and anxiety symptoms, asking how often in the past two weeks you’ve experienced things like hopelessness, trouble sleeping, poor appetite, restlessness, or difficulty concentrating.
The therapist will ask about your mental health history: any previous diagnoses, past therapy experiences (what worked, what didn’t), psychiatric medications you’ve taken or are currently taking, and whether you’ve ever been hospitalized for mental health reasons. They’ll ask about family history of mental illness, substance use, and whether you’ve experienced traumatic events. They’ll also ask about safety, including whether you’ve had thoughts of hurting yourself or others. These questions are routine and asked of every new client, not just people in crisis.
You’ll also be asked about your goals. Two questions worth thinking about beforehand: “How do you hope to benefit from therapy?” and “How will you know therapy is working?” Having even a rough answer helps your therapist tailor their approach from day one.
Bring a list of any medications you’re currently taking, including dosages. If you’ve seen other therapists before, knowing their names and approximate dates can be helpful but isn’t essential.
If You Need Help Right Now
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 support for mental health crises, substance use concerns, and emotional distress of any kind. You can call, text, or chat 988. It’s free, judgment-free, and available in Spanish with access for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers. Veterans can press 1 after dialing to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. The Crisis Text Line is another option: text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor. Neither service requires you to be suicidal to reach out. They exist for anyone in emotional distress who needs someone to talk to right now.