How to find a good therapist?

[twowhat?]

Apparently my insurance doesn't cover mental health. Argh! What's the best way to go about finding an affordable therapist? For marriage/general issues. Maybe mostly marriage at this point, but I'm not sure. I can't seem to have 2 sentences with DH without it resulting in an argument. After the girls go to bed every night, I have an overwhelming need to just be ALONE. I don't even want to talk to him! I can almost feel my blood pressure rising when he's around. I know this year has been stressful for me (mom's cancer, brother's death) but I think I've been dealing with those things just fine...but maybe not?? At this point I feel like I need help - I am just not happy.

DH wouldn't agree to counseling. But I definitely need to do it with or without him.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

sorry you are dealing with this :hug:

i can't remember (it was more than 2 years ago) but i think i found my therapist by going to the Psychology Today website..they had lists of therapists, pictures and their qualifications, and had a little blurb about them and what areas they specialized in (e.g. anxiety, marriage, etc).

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/

you can search by specific issues..i had a lot of anxiety/insomnia with my first pregnancy and i searched for that in my zip code.i think that's how i found mine. she was really good, and taught me a lot of relaxation/meditation techniques. luckily she also deals with PPD/PP anxiety, so i started seeing her again after my DD was born.

and yeah, sometimes i think it would be great for our marriage to see a counselor together every now and then (we don't fight that much, but we often argue about the same things over again), but my DH would never agree to it. i guess he just doesn't believe in it, or thinks counseling is a crock/waste of money or whatever. (insert rolling eyes smiley here)

[mackmama]

You could contact a therapy training institute in your city. They usually offer therapy at greatly reduced rates. You could also search here: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php Ask any therapists you call if they offer a "sliding scale." This basically means a reduced fee based on ability to pay. Hang in there, and I'm glad you're seeking someone to talk to.

[PunkyBoo]

A lot of companies offer an EAP. Look through DH's health benefit paperwork and find out if there is one offered through his work. Then call them and ask what is available to you. I used my DH's EAP a few years ago and it was great - they adjusted the cost quite a bit (I only ended up paying a copay per visit).

[twowhat?]

Well, never mind...just found out that the company I work for will be shutting down next year. Crap.

[PunkyBoo]

I'm sorry you got such bad news! That is something that will add a lot of stress, so I encourage you to find a therapist asap that can help you with ALL of the stress going on. I believe you can use DH's EAP even if you have insurance through your own job.

[twowhat?]

I'm sorry you got such bad news! That is something that will add a lot of stress, so I encourage you to find a therapist asap that can help you with ALL of the stress going on. I believe you can use DH's EAP even if you have insurance through your own job.

I will definitely look into this. Thank you!

[BabyMine]

Word of mouth and trial and error. Interview them to see if you click.

Does your work have an EAP service?