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What is Mental Therapy?

Therapy is a general term for mental health treatment that consists of talking with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health providers. Fundamentally, therapy is about understanding your thinking, mood, emotions, and behaviors and where they cause you distress or impair your functioning. It’s about improving how a person interacts with the world so they can respond to life’s challenges with healthy coping skills. According to the APA definition, therapy for mental and emotional health is a confidential, supportive space that allows you to talk openly with a mental health practitioner who is objective, neutral, and nonjudgmental. While most therapy focuses on individuals, it can also involve working with couples, families, or groups.

What is a Mental Therapist?

A counselor or therapist is a professional with training in treating mental health conditions and concerns. This can include various mental health diagnoses, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is the overall wellness of how you think, regulate your feelings, and behave. Sometimes people experience a significant disturbance in this mental functioning. A mental disorder may be present when patterns or changes in thinking, feeling, or behavior cause distress or disrupt a person's ability to function. A mental health disorder may affect how well you:

- Maintain personal or family relationships

- Function in social settings

- Perform at work or school

- Learn at a level expected for your age and intelligence

- Participate in other important activities

Cultural norms and social expectations also play a role in defining mental health disorders. There is no standard measure across cultures to determine whether a behavior is normal or when it becomes disruptive. What might be normal in one society may be a cause for concern in another.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy (sometimes called talk therapy) refers to a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Most psychotherapy takes place when a licensed mental health professional and a patient meet one-on-one or with other patients in a group setting.

What is a Psychologist?

A psychologist is a trained mental health professional who helps people learn healthy ways to handle mental health challenges. They can help people living with specific conditions, like depression or anxiety, or those who are going through a tough time in life, like grieving the loss of a loved one. They undergo years of education and training to be able to provide a range of mental health services.

What are the Types of Psychologists?

Although there are many different types of psychologists, most of them fit into five different categories like Clinical psychologists, Neuropsychologists, Health psychologists, and Counseling psychologists.

Can a Clinical Psychologist Write Prescriptions?

The answer to this question is that it depends on the location and industry of employment for the clinical psychologist. In the places that do allow clinical psychologists to prescribe medication, the psychologist may need to have additional training, certification, or licensure with the state government. Several industries of employment allow a clinical psychologist to prescribe medication. The Indian Health Service, which is a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, allows this. The military also allows clinical psychologists to prescribe medications to personnel. Private practice and publicly-employed clinical psychologists are allowed to prescribe medications in a few states, and several additional states are considering legislation that would allow this activity. There are five states where clinical psychologists can prescribe medication: Louisiana, New Mexico, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho.

What's the Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychotherapist?

A psychotherapist is a broader term that includes all professionals who deal with the management of mental health problems or emotional issues. A psychotherapist can be a clinical psychologist, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. A therapist is someone who provides professional therapy solutions usually in various fields including mental and physical health.

What is the Difference between Psychiatry and Psychology?

Both psychologists and psychiatrists can provide psychotherapy. However, most psychiatrists treat patients primarily by prescribing medication, while psychologists mainly rely on providing talk and/or behavioral therapy. Some states now grant psychologists prescription privileges once they complete the required education and training.

Is a Mental Health Counselor a Therapist?

Counselors and therapists are both mental health professionals. Depending on the therapist and counselor and the training and qualifications of the individuals, both can provide talk therapy. Therapists often focus on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. Counselors, on the other hand, tend to help with life challenges. However, there is an overlap. Therapists can support life challenges and counselors can work with people who have mental health conditions. Additionally, therapists and counselors often work with the same populations who experience similar challenges.

In general, the differences between therapists and counselors include:

- Counselors tend to offer short-term care, while therapists tend to offer long-term care.

- Therapists can be more past-focused and counselors more future-focused.

- Counselors often have a set number of sessions, and therapists often work on an ongoing basis.

- Therapists are more likely to treat mental health conditions.

- Counselors are more likely to support life challenges such as relationship difficulties, job changes, or adjusting after a move.

- Therapists tend to do more in-depth mental health work.

What Do Mental Health Therapists Do?

People seek mental health therapy for a variety of reasons. They may suffer from a disorder, such as anxiety, addiction, or schizophrenia. Others may experience situational issues like family conflicts, major life changes, abuse, or work stress.

Mental health therapists evaluate and assess patients' mental health, behavior, and situational issues. They ask patients to talk about their thoughts and feelings to formulate and recommend treatment plans.

Depending on the situation, psychotherapy may include one or more of the following approaches:

- Acceptance and commitment therapy, which teaches patients to accept their thoughts and feelings and commit to change

- Cognitive therapy, which focuses on thoughts

- Dialectical behavior therapy, which teaches coping and emotional management skills

- Humanistic therapy, which emphasizes rational choice and developing maximum potential

- Interpersonal psychotherapy, which addresses relationship problems 

- Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy, which explores unconscious motivations and meanings

- Integrative or holistic therapy, which blends approaches according to patients' needs

How Do I Know I Need Therapy?

For starters, therapy is used to treat mental health problems, including:

- Anxiety disorders, such as PTSD, OCD, phobias, or panic disorder

- Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder

- Addiction, alcohol use disorder, other substance use disorders, and gambling disorder

- Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia

- Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder

- Schizophrenia or other disorders that cause detachment from reality

Apart from mental illness, some other reasons to seek therapy include:

- Chronic illness, death, or bereavement in the family

- Financial issues, job loss, or problems in the workplace

- Relationship stress, including trying to make a marriage work, caring for young children or aging parents, and managing friendships

- Daily stressors that are overwhelming you or throwing your life out of balance

- Recovering from physical or sexual abuse or witnessing violence or a traumatic event

- Cope with sexual problems, whether they’re due to a physical or psychological cause

Benefits of Mental Therapy

Mental health therapy is helpful for about 75% of people who try it. People with mental health conditions who attend therapy often see improvements in their symptoms and quality of life. There are many benefits of therapy, and they are not limited to people with mental health conditions. Anyone who needs guidance or a listening ear during a stressful life event can benefit from therapy.

Potential benefits of therapy include:

- Better communication skills

- Better sleep

- Increased happiness and life satisfaction

- Feelings of empowerment; improved mental function and productivity; fewer missed days from school or work

- Improved relationships and interactions with other people

- Improved physical well-being, such as lower blood pressure or reduction in chronic pain

- Development of skills for coping with daily life challenges and stress

- Improved management of behavioral health challenges, such as reducing or quitting smoking or drinking alcohol

Types Of Mental Therapy

There are many different types of therapy, including those that are most effective with families or groups of people. You can learn about your options by talking with people you trust, like your family doctor or clergy, with people who have experience with mental health conditions, or with staff at your local Mental Health America affiliate.

You might ask therapists you're considering if they use a particular type of therapy and how it works. You may get more out of therapy if you understand how the process usually works and how the therapist thinks it will help you. Some therapists will blend a few different approaches to suit your particular needs.

The following are a few common types of therapy:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has two main aspects. The cognitive part works to develop helpful beliefs about your life. The behavioral side helps you learn to take healthier actions. CBT often works well for depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, but it can also be used for other various conditions.

Interpersonal therapy focuses largely on improving relationships and helping a person express emotions in healthy ways. This approach often works well for depression. A variation of it called "interpersonal and social rhythm therapy" often works well for bipolar disorder because it also helps develop a daily schedule that supports recovery.

Family therapy helps family members communicate, handle conflicts, and solve problems better. Forms of family therapy often are used for treating eating disorders and bipolar disorder.

Psychodynamic therapy helps people develop a better understanding of their unconscious emotions and motivations that can affect their thoughts and actions.

Art therapy can include using music, dance, drawing, and other art forms to help express emotions and promote healing.

Psychoeducation helps people understand mental health conditions and ways to promote recovery.

Questions You Should Ask a Therapist Before Your First Appointment

Most therapists offer a 15-minute consultation where you can explain your objectives and ask them questions. Here are the top questions you should ask a therapist before making an appointment.

1. How long have you been practicing?

2. What licenses and certifications do you have and which professional organizations do you belong to?

3. How much do you charge? What are your sliding-scale options?

4. How many clients have you had with similar circumstances to my own? When was the last time you worked with someone similar to me?

5. Describe your ideal patient

6. What are your strengths and limitations as a counselor?

7. What is your general philosophy and approach to helping? Are you more directive or more guiding?

8. Have you been in therapy yourself? How recently?

9. How often do you seek peer consultation?

10. How often would you anticipate seeing me? For how long?

11. How do you set up counseling goals? What are they like? What is success for you?

12. What is a typical session like? How long are the sessions?

13. What kind of homework/reading do you give patients?

14. How do I prepare for my first session?

How to Maintain your Mental Health

Practicing self-care can help improve a person’s mental health by reducing a person’s risk of illness, increasing energy levels, and managing stress. The NIMH offers several tips to help a person begin with their self-care routine:

1. Regular exercise: Exercising for 45 minutes, three to five times a week, can significantly improve mental health.

2. Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated: Eating a nourishing, balanced diet and staying hydrated can give a constant supply of energy throughout the day.

3. Aim for good-quality sleep: A 2021 review of multiple studies found that more significant improvements in sleep quality led to greater improvements in a person’s mental health.

Perform relaxing activities: Breathing exercises, meditation, wellness apps, and journaling can help reduce stress and improve overall health and well-being.

4. Practice gratefulness: People can practice mindfulness and gratitude by actively identifying things they are grateful for daily.

5. Challenge negative thoughts: A person can practice positivity by becoming aware of their negative and unhelpful thoughts and challenging them.

6. Look for positive social interactions: Connecting and maintaining meaningful connections and relationships reduces stress and can also be a source of support and practical help in times of need.

What To Expect in a Therapy?

Depending on your situation, therapy can be fairly short or longer-term. Often, people see their therapists once a week for 50 minutes. Your first session will be different from future visits. The initial visit is more of a "getting to know you" session and will help your therapist get an idea of how to proceed with your treatment.

You have a right to feel safe and respected in therapy.  If you're concerned, you can ask about confidentiality. Usually, though, it's understood that a therapist respects your privacy; and that group members do too if you're meeting in a group. Therapy should address your needs, goals, concerns, and desires. If you're going to be talking to someone about your most personal thoughts, you want to feel comfortable. 

You can think about what traits might make you feel more comfortable with a therapist. For example, would you prefer to see:

- a man or woman

- someone older or younger

- someone from your cultural background

- someone with a style that's more formal or friendly

Therapy may not help you immediately. Over time, though, it can help you develop more coping skills, stronger relationships, and a better sense of yourself.

Getting The Most Out Of Therapy

Therapy likely will work best if there is a partnership between you and the therapist. Don't just sit there! Take an active part in your sessions.

You can strengthen your therapy in many ways.

- Tell your provider your goals for treatment. Think about whether there are certain behaviors or issues you care about most.

- Keep an open mind. Be willing to consider new ways of behaving and thinking that might improve the quality of your life. We all resist change, so don't be surprised if you are tempted to quit right before some real changes happen.

- If you think you're not making progress, you should tell your provider. A good therapist will want to work with you so you can get the most out of your sessions. After discussing your concerns, if you're still not comfortable, you might consider meeting with another therapist for advice and possibly switching.

- Be open and honest. Your therapist can't help you if you don't share the whole picture. Don't say you're fine if you're not.

- Take your therapy home. You might consider keeping a journal or other ways to focus on what you've been discussing in therapy. Think about ways to use ideas from therapy in your daily life.

How Do I Find a Therapist?

Whether you’re beginning your therapy journey or returning to counseling, finding the right therapist to suit your needs can be tricky work. There are different types of mental health providers, each with their distinct training and approaches to therapy. Your first step will be familiarizing yourself with the different types of providers and what type you wish to see for therapy.

You can start your search by:

1. Getting a referral. Talk to your family doctor about your symptoms as a starting point. They can refer you to a specialist or provide you with other resources.

2. Using a reliable online database. Several mental health organizations have up-to-date databases of licensed therapists in your neighborhood. With these tools, you can filter therapists based on your zip code, city, or state, and filter based on other parameters, such as whether you want a male or female therapist, or one who provides telemedicine or in-person counseling.

3. Asking your insurance company for a mental health provider list. If you have private health insurance, Medicaid, or coverage provided through your job, call your insurer’s information number to connect with therapists in your area who accept your insurance plan.

How Much Does Therapy Cost?

For many Americans, therapy may seem out of reach because of its price point. 

Variables That Can Affect the Cost of Therapy

Instead, your job is to shop around, request quotes, and look at therapists’ fees on their websites. You’ll notice price points will vary depending on factors such as:

1. Location. Expect higher fees if your therapist practices in a city with higher living costs than in smaller towns.

2. Experience. Veteran therapists with extensive training or niche areas of specialization may charge more for counseling than their counterparts who are establishing their practice and clientele.

3. Platform. If you’re working directly with a therapist in private practice or someone affiliated with a nearby medical center, you may encounter higher price points than when you use subscription virtual services like BetterHelp or Talkspace.

Does Insurance Cover Therapy?

Contact your insurance provider, whether it’s through a private plan or via your employer, to see what coverage or reimbursement is available before starting. Your insurance provider will have a list of approved companies or practitioners it can refer you to.

Ask questions such as:

1. Does my plan cover mental health services?

2. Do I have a choice about what kind of mental health professionals I can see? What kind of treatment does my plan cover or exclude?

3. Is there a deductible?

4. What is my copayment for a therapy session?

5. Is there a limit to the number of sessions?

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

Very Well Health

Best Counseling Degrees

MedicalNewsToday

MHA

Everyday Health

WebMD

Online Psychology

NIH

MedicineNet

Psychology

Washingtonian

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.