6 Expert Ways To Get Mental Health Help During a Therapist Shortage

Anxiety and despair have been on the rise in the United States since the onset of the pandemic. This has led to a crisis in mental health that has been aggravated by the shortage of mental health counselors.

A considerable proportion of mental health practitioners are not accepting new clients. Others have long waiting lists.

The Washington Post asked mental health specialists what advice they would give clients who are struggling to locate a therapist. About 300 professionals from throughout the country responded with advice on getting an appointment — and recommendations on what individuals can do in the meanwhile to attempt to help themselves. Here are their recommendations.

Be persistent, and cast a wide net

Websites such as Psychology Today, Therapy Den and ZocDoc feature directories that allow you to look for mental health professionals who specialize in particular conditions such as anxiety and depression. They also show you which therapists take insurance and, most important, which ones are taking new customers.

Once you have your list, prepare for that initial phone call or email — many therapists’ preferred mode of contact — by providing thorough information about your requirements and what you intend to receive out of treatment. This helps them know whether they can help or whether they should recommend you to someone else.

“Doing a little bit of that prep work to figure out what it is that you’d like to work on can go a long way in getting matched up with a therapist who may be a better fit than just cold-calling and saying, ‘Hey, I need a therapist,’ ” said Esther Benoit, a licensed professional counselor in Newport News, Va.

If you locate a therapist who seems like a good fit but can’t see you for a while, ask to be put on a wait list and then request suggestions for other therapists who specialize in the same mental health conditions. Also, keep in mind that group practices may be able to accommodate you in sooner than solo practitioners.

When everything else fails, you may be able to ask your health insurance provider for appointment assistance. “Tell them you’re not able to identify providers and have them do the work for you,” said Jenna Wolfson, a certified clinical social worker in Santa Cruz County, Calif.

Be flexible with scheduling

Many individuals desire appointments during lunch hours or after work or school, but if you are able to visit a therapist throughout the workday — particularly via telehealth — you may have greater luck getting a therapist sooner.

Michelle Slater, a certified mental health counselor with a private business in Jacksonville, Fla., said it is easier to squeeze in telemedicine visits largely because she can meet with clients from any private location. “I have been in a parked car to do type of crisis help in the moment,” she said.

Wolfson noted, however, not everyone has that flexibility during work hours. If you are having a mental health crisis and cannot leave work, she suggested speaking to your human resources department about using the Family Medical Leave Act, which enables up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for eligible employees, so you may adequately treat your mental health needs.

Consider an out-of-network provider

Many providers do not accept insurance but will offer a superbill that clients can submit to health insurance companies for payment.

If you cannot pay conventional fees out of pocket, ask therapists about a sliding scale. Some therapists may cut their prices to accommodate customers on a case-by-case basis. But Slater said it helps to have an established relationship with a therapist before asking them to do it. “The better I know my clients, the more willing I am to work with them,” she remarked.

See a therapist in training

Jonathan Schettino, a licensed psychologist with a private practice in Baltimore, said people frequently balk about seeing a trainee, but there are a number of advantages — the major one being that you will have two sets of eyes on your case rather than one.

Trainees may be students who have not yet earned their degrees, but more typically they are pre-licensed graduates who are earning their hours under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional. “If the training program is good quality, the person that you’re working with may be supervised by someone who is a nationally recognized authority in the field,” Schettino said.

Where do you find one? Colleges and institutions with counseling programs will occasionally establish training clinics where trainees can work at cheaper rates to obtain experience. Others work in community health-care institutions that serve lower-income consumers. And some can be found in private offices and are often designated as interns or residents, Schettino noted.

Coaches — such as a health and wellness coach — may be another alternative when you cannot find a therapist.

“Coaches can be a nice way to move forward with an issue while waiting to take the time to explore the underlying issues that are contributing and/or causing problems,” said Lakeasha Sullivan, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Atlanta who has written a wellness article for The Washington Post. But, she advised, make sure that the coach is endorsed by a nationally known organization.

Join a support group or therapy group

Support groups and therapy groups organized by mental health professionals are useful resources.

Support groups try to help people feel normalized as they battle with similar challenges such as anxiety and despair, substance abuse or sorrow. Therapy groups strive to help persons with comparable conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder feel supported by one another as they work on their challenges.

“I like groups,” said Slater, who leads a mindfulness group on SESH, a membership-based platform for therapist-led online support groups. “We’re all walking around feeling alone, and really we’re not. There’s something incredibly validating about being with individuals who are battling in similar ways.”

To find a reliable group, contact nationally known associations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental health clinics in your area, your health insurance company or your primary-care doctor for recommendations.

Support, however, does not always have to come from an organized mental health group. Religious, cultural and other social support networks can be important.

“There’s a distinction between getting support in the moment and then obtaining therapy that’s actually going to cause change,” Slater said. “What is it that you need? Are you looking for a change? Are you in crisis? Are you looking for new coping skills? Do you just want to vent and be heard? Because it puts it in separate categories of what your friends, family, bartender or hairdresser can do versus what you might require therapy for.”

Look into self-help possibilities

Be open to some DIY mental health work, including books, apps, TED Talks and stress-reducing activities such as meditation and exercise – regardless of whether you have found a therapist.

Carmen Grant, a certified clinical social worker in Ramona, Calif., said she suggests self-help books or workbooks, which work well for driven individuals, authored by mental health specialists.

“I would steer away from self-help books that aren’t published by therapists mainly because it’s just the individual coming from their own experience, and people aren’t all the same,” she added.

The same goes for other self-help techniques.

Schettino said you needed to be “a little bit savvy” to make sure the books, apps and discussions are rooted in science.

This is a hard period for many individuals who are seeking for therapists. But one expert recommended individuals to attempt to reframe their grievances.

“The act of going to therapy is not treatment. Therapy involves implementing the skills — thinking through new ways of knowing oneself between the sessions,” Sullivan added. “The actual work comes between sessions, and individuals may participate in that genuine work before they consult with a professional.”