this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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AskBeehaw
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I know it can be hard to find for sure, but there is a lot of online mental health support available. I'm not sure about actual free forum communities, but that might be becuase of privacy issues or the difficulty of both moderating and providing safe healthy advice.
But there are online options for therapy. Some of it is free, but most requires a fee - although there are often sliding scale options (when councelors offer lower fees if cost is an issue, there's more who offer this than you'd think.) Finding help remotely is the way to go, it's both more affordable and you can take the time to find someone who is right for you. I use an online therapist, she lives a few hours away and it took a few attempts to find the right fit, but it's worth it.
There is 7 cups - they offer a lot of options. They provide just someone to talk to (volunteers, it's free) as well as affordable options for counceling. https://www.7cups.com/
I'd also recommend Psychology Today, which lets you search for therapists both locally and online. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists
I used Psychology Today to find my therapist (there's a Canadian version of the site) The have profiles and contact info for many, MANY therapists and psychologists, all accredited and professional. Most will be happy to tell you their rates, or offer either a free or very low cost introductory session (to see if you are the right fit)
There are also some free, self-directed therapy options in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. A lot of it can be done yourself, as it involves worksheets and exercises. It's actually very effective despite sounding maybe like busy work? Hehe - I've also had success using CBT, both with therapists and using self-directed workbooks.
Here is a good introduction, very thorough and with links for further reading: https://positivepsychology.com/cbt-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-worksheets/
The main website here also provides some good, free resources and articles by certified councelors. https://positivepsychology.com/
Thank you very much for the resources. It's interesting searching in that second link you provided because there are some therapists listed in my community, but neither of the two who I saw.
It gets discouraging not having much money, but I'll try that 7cups free service first and see if I like it.
Thanks!
Great!! I hope it helps. :) I highly recommend looking into CBT as well, it's not for everyone, but there's a lot of CBT exercises you can do on your own (also free)
Thanks, I've set up my 7cups account. I see there is a $7.99/month tier that doesn't include therapy, but has a lot more resources than basic. I think I'll try it to get a feel for the community. I could probably manage $150/month if I budget correctly, and that's a lot of therapy for the price vs. most counseling services irl.