Chances are you have never met a mental health provider, and you are now considering therapy to cope with emotional turmoil. The main challenge here is that with endless providers available in the market today, what are the odds for you to meet the right fit for your needs? 

This blog aims to make the search easier for you. We present the complete checklist to reach the best mental health provider to address your issues.

Blog In Brief:

• Types of mental health providers
• Factors to consider while selecting a mental health care provider
• Ways to search for mental health provider
• Things to look for in a mental health provider

Mental Health Providers: Types

While the primary responsibility of mental health providers is to diagnose mental health conditions and deliver solutions, each has a specialization. Some might have expertise in tackling substance abuse, others might cover areas to treat depression, while the rest might work on family therapy areas. There are hundreds of lines of expertise. Further, these professionals have different operational settings; some might work in private practice, while others work in hospitals and other facilities.

Here’s a list of crucial mental health providers.

• Psychiatrist: A physician M.D. or D.O. who specializes in mental health. He offers psychotherapy for several mental health conditions and prescribes medications.
• Psychologist: A trained professional who can diagnose several mental health disorders and offer psychological counseling. He can’t prescribe medications.
• Physician Assistant: An expert in psychiatry, a certified physician assistant can diagnose and treat mental conditions, offer counseling, and prescribe medications.
• Licensed clinical social worker: He has a master’s degree in social work, while others might have a doctoral degree. They offer assessment, diagnosis, and other services but can not prescribe medication.
• Licensed professional counselor: While different names in different states, a licensed professional counselor comes with a master’s degree and considerable clinical experience. Their nature of work is similar to licensed clinical social workers.

Factors to Look for in a Mental Health Provider

• As a general rule of thumb, go for specialists who can handle and address your concerns expertly. For instance, if you have an anxiety disorder, consulting with a licensed family expert will do no good. Instead, finding a psychologist can bring optimal results.
• There are cases where patients are required to take medications with counseling. In such a case, you might have to meet more than one mental health care provider. For example, you have to see a psychiatrist for medications while a psychologist for counseling.
• It is ideal for getting an in-depth understanding of your health insurance coverage, as different insurance policies cover various mental health providers. Before booking an appointment with a counselor, it is better to check the insurance coverage.

Ways to Find a Mental Health Provider

• Make an inquiry with your health insurance company about enlisted service providers.
• Alternatively, you can ask your primary care provider for a referral.
• Take the traditional route, and ask your family or close acquaintance.
• Look for phone book listings or browse the internet for community service numbers or related professionals.
• Browse the internet for professional associations like the American Medical Association, which usually keeps directories of mental health providers.

Things to Look for in a Mental Health Provider

Look for the following to verify the effectiveness of a mental health provider.

• Different states have unique licensing needs. Pay close attention to the provider’s education, working experience, and licensure.
• Area of specialization and offered services.
• Ask for a case study, if available, to gauge their medical approach.
• Insurance providers, they are associated with.
• Nature of counseling and price.

Parting Thoughts

Your reasons to look for therapy might be any, cope with a divorce or an attempt to pull yourself out of depression. Finding the right therapist can add significant value to your journey. Just remember to look for licensure, expertise, location, and insurance coverage and trust the rest of the process. Remember trusting a counselor is the crux of a successful therapy session.