How to Find Help for Mental Health Problems
Jonathan Schwartz, M.D.
Most people wait until they have been experiencing psychological problems, whether it be depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, or other issues, until these problems have been robbing their daily lives of joy for way too long. There are many reasons for this, but I suspect the two most potent reasons are twofold. First, the stigma of psychological disorders (and admitting that there is a significant problem for this reason) slows people down. Second, finding the right person to help you with whatever the problem is can be challenging.
The issues of stigma and admitting that you have a problem are issues that we will leave for another time. The task of finding someone to help you is one we can tackle here.
I believe the best way to find a therapist/counselor/prescriber is to ask people you trust if they can recommend someone. Of course, there may not be anyone you trust enough to ask. In that case, you might ask your primary care provider. I don’t think this is always a great way to find someone, because I have seen many cases in which PCPs make referrals to people who are not very good at what they do. PCPs often make referrals to therapists/prescribers they know are available to accept referrals rather than because they know much about the quality of the person’s work. Another way to find a provider of mental health services is to look online at the reviews of professionals in your area. Healthgrades.com and vitals.com are two of the websites that provide reviews. If you google the name of someone you are considering, reviews will often appear. If you are seeing a prescriber for medication and have decided that counseling would be helpful, ask your prescriber to recommend someone, and vice versa.
Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com) has a large database of providers in each geographic area. Each entry includes information about the individual’s area of expertise and specialization and often a photo of the person. This database is a useful tool whether you are looking for a counselor/therapist or a prescriber.
It can be helpful to visit your insurance company’s website to identify the names of mental health professionals in your area who take your insurance. These databases are often outdated, so don’t be surprised if you call to make an appointment with someone you believe to be your insurance provider, only to find out this is not the case. If you contact a provider who you very much are hoping to see and they explain that they are not accepting new clients/patients, ask them if there is someone they could recommend.
Most importantly, you often have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince. This applies to mental health professionals, especially psychotherapists, just as it is true when it comes to romance. Do not continue with someone you do not feel “gets” you or with whom you do not have good chemistry. You are investing significant time and psychic energy in your health – it is important to find someone you feel good about.
About Jonathan Schwartz, M.D.
Dr. Jonathan Schwartz, MD, was born in New Bedford and has been practicing adult and child psychiatry for more than 30 years. He graduated from McGill University Medical School in Montreal and trained at Massachusetts General Hospital (Adult Psychiatry) and Children’s Hospital (Child Psychiatry) in Boston. Dr. Schwartz specializes in the areas of Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Addictions, and ADHD. He served as the psychiatrist at U.Mass. Dartmouth from 1985 until 2016 and is currently the Medical Director at Steppingstone in Fall River, MA. Dr. Schwartz directs Concierge TMS.
