I am a huge fan of therapy.
Like, I LOVE therapy.
Talking to someone outside of my circle of family and friends about my “stuff” is always so cathartic. I don’t have to carefully edit my issues down to avoid transferring any of the “stuff” I’m talking about to that specific relationship, and honestly? Venting to strangers is more of a release for me because I can really let it all hang out. My family and friends will be able to reflect back what I’ve told them for years and years to come, but this is not even a possibility with a therapist/counselor/stranger on the train!
Therapy is more accessible than ever before, with new, nontraditional ways to find therapy options. It doesn’t even have to involve leaving your couch if you don’t want it to! Many therapists offer counseling via phone or video conferencing apps such as Zoom or GoToMeeting—all you have to do is ask. This is especially helpful for people with busy and/or atypical schedules. Some therapists are even willing to do phone and video conferencing sessions outside of their normal business hours because they can do it easily from home. Again, you just have to ask!
If therapy with a therapist or counselor is not covered by your insurance plan, there are other ways to find therapy options. Check out these other affordable and accessible paths to therapy, including nontraditional routes:
- Ever heard of “Warmlines”? They are typically peer-run, and rather than providing immediate crisis management resources like a hotline will, a warmline instead connects the caller to a peer that is available for listening and connection. This is not connection to a licensed therapist, but connection to someone that is willing to chat about whatever you’re needing to talk through. There are many resources here, and the list was current as of March 2020: http://warmline.org/
- Open Path is a psychotherapy collective that provides access to licensed therapists for $30-$60/visit with a lifetime membership fee of only $49: https://openpathcollective.org/
- Better Help offers access to online counseling with licensed therapists through a weekly membership fee from $40-$70/week that can be canceled anytime: https://www.betterhelp.com/
- TalkSpace has three different tiers of pricing that offer different levels of access to licensed therapists, starting at $49/week: https://www.talkspace.com/
- 7 Cups does offer access to online counseling with licensed therapists starting at just $33/week, but they also offer a free 24/7 chat service with support people they call “listeners”: https://www.7cups.com/
- Blah Therapy is similar to 7 Cups in that they connect people to a free 24/7 chat service, but Blah Therapy also provides total anonymity- no sign up is required to be connected to a listener: https://blahtherapy.com/
Sometimes discounted therapy with a therapist in training is available through universities and training hospitals. Make a few phone calls to your local schools and health facilities and see if they offer anything like this. Many licensed therapists also offer sliding fee scales based on need, too. You never know if you don’t ask, so ASK!
Wherever you go, Happy Therapy!
If you’d like to check out some nontraditional therapy options beyond talk therapy, check out the link below and follow Has Baggage, Still Travels on IG and FB for content to cultivate our best selves!