{"id":16868,"date":"2018-06-27T12:49:06","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T17:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.helplinecenter.org\/?page_id=16868"},"modified":"2021-07-15T10:18:50","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T15:18:50","slug":"considering-counseling","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/2-1-1-community-resources\/helpsheets\/considering-counseling\/","title":{"rendered":"Considering Counseling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>What is Counseling?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">In counseling (also referred to as therapy, psychotherapy, and talk therapy), a mental health professional works with an individual, family, group, or couple. Counselors don\u2019t prescribe medication but provide a safe, caring, and confidential environment to explore feelings, behaviors, or beliefs, work through challenges, and work towards desired goals.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>When to Seek Professional Help?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Everyone needs more support from time to time. Below are some signs that indicate that you may benefit from a mental health professional:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">You\u2019re feeling overwhelmed with sadness or anger that impairs your ability to function<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">You\u2019ve faced trauma or abuse and are having trouble coping<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">You\u2019re having harmful thoughts<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">You\u2019re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Where is Counseling Provided?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Community Agencies\/Centers <\/strong>\u2013 non-profit agencies or community mental health centers that provide a broad range of mental health services<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Native American Counseling Locations<\/strong> \u2013 providing mental health and substance use services, often at no cost to enrolled tribal members.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Veteran Counseling Locations <\/strong>\u2013 serving members of the military and their families with behavioral health care; some options are affiliated with the VA and some are not, or keep counseling records separate.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Private Practice<\/strong> \u2013 typically for-profit; mental health professionals with their own offices and who set their own schedules<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Residential or Inpatient Settings<\/strong> \u2013 provides more intensive care, typically suggested after an assessment\/evaluation<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Telehealth Mental Health Services<\/strong> \u2013 online or phone-based counseling provided by a mental health professional<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>How to Find the Right Fit?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Some things to consider while searching for a counselor or therapist:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">What type of help are you seeking and what results do you hope to see?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">What are their scheduling options? Do they provide services via telehealth?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Cost of services:<\/span><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Do you have health insurance? If so, what mental health services does it cover?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Does your employer offer services through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Will you need services at a reduced cost? Some mental health professionals offer \u201csliding fee scale\u201d that allows you to pay for services based on your income.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Some providers allow for phone consultation prior to your first appointment. This provides an opportunity to ask about their specialty and area of expertise.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Remember: Finding the right counselor or therapist is like finding a good pair of shoes. Sometimes you have to try on a few before you find the right fit.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>For more information on counseling options, call 211 or search our online database:<\/strong><\/span><\/p><ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"\/es\/211database\/\">helplinecenter.org\/211database<\/a><\/span><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Use the following keyword search terms:<\/span><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Individual Counseling<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Community Mental Health Agencies<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Native American Counseling Locations<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Non-Profit Counseling Agencies<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Private Therapy Practices<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Veteran Counseling Locations<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Telemental Health<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/span><\/p><ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><li><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\">National Alliance on Mental Illness: <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 8pt;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\">https:\/\/www.nami.org<\/a><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\">Psychology Today: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\">https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us<\/a><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong>: This HelpSheet is developed by the Helpline Center. HelpSheets provide a brief overview of the designated topic. For more information, call 211 or text your zip code to 898211.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><strong>Updated: <\/strong>July 2021<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is Counseling?In counseling (also referred to as therapy, psychotherapy, and talk therapy), a mental health professional works with an individual, family, group, or couple. Counselors don\u2019t prescribe medication but provide a safe, caring, and confidential environment to explore feelings, behaviors, or beliefs, work through challenges, and work towards desired goals.&nbsp;When to Seek Professional Help?Everyone &nbsp;[ <a title=\"click to read more\" href=\"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/2-1-1-community-resources\/helpsheets\/considering-counseling\/\">more<\/a> ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":16750,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16868","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16868"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":833668,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16868\/revisions\/833668"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}