Seeking Therapy When It’s Not Covered By Your Workplace
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The events of the last year have shined a bright light on attending therapy. As the negative stigma continues to be broken down, more people are beginning to look for options that not only work for them but are available to them.
However, this positive reinforcement for taking care of your mental health doesn’t always reach the professional world. While many companies include therapy and counselling as an employee benefit, many do not. Whether it’s only an allotted number of sessions a year or discounts for local practices and clinics -- your job should provide some type of mental health resource to you. As your job is often a big stressor and factor in your mental state, it’s only right that they provide you with the resources to come into work in your best state of mind.
So, what do you do if therapy isn’t covered by your job’s medical insurance? After bringing it up to your bosses (which you definitely should do!), double-check with HR or your People Operations Department that there are absolutely no resources available. If not, it’s time to do the research yourself. While this is the reality for most people seeking therapy, you’ve got plenty of options if you look in the right places. It’s time to take your holistic well-being and mental health into your own hands.
As your job is often a big stressor and factor in your mental state, it’s only right that they provide you with the resources to come into work in your best state of mind.
What Type of Therapy Are You Looking For?
It’s important to understand your intentions when seeking out therapy. Is there a habit you want to break or a feeling you want to understand? Knowing which type of therapy you’re seeking will help you choose the right therapist. Here are the most common types:
In Psychodynamic Therapy, you are there to dissect and understand your experiences, your way of thinking/feeling, and finding patterns in it all. Why do you respond the way do? What do you need? It is good for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.
Humanistic Therapy is a long-term approach to achieving your goals. It will help guide you to what you need to feel fulfilled in life, work, love, etc. Working on confidence and self-acceptance is a major component here. This type of therapy is good for self-esteem, relationships, and feeling lost and is all about guidance and support.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is usually a short-term form of therapy that focuses on one behavioural factor or habit. Phobias, OCD, Insomnia, and other things of that nature are the focus of this type of therapy.
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Therapy Resources For Women of Colour
Looking for a therapist as a BIPOC and/or woman of colour can be difficult. It’s not a big ask to want to pour your feelings out to someone who gets where you’re coming from, but the industry is known for its white majority. Fortunately, diversity in wellness is increasing and more resources are becoming available to not only help you find therapists but find one that is the right fit for you. Apps such as Talkspace, Sibly, and BetterHelp allow you to text counsellors and therapists at your convenience and at a much lower fee than going to a private practice without insurance. If you don’t connect with that person, you can easily request to change. If you’re a person where only texting won’t do the trick, there are reasonably priced options that allow you to do the same in other ways.
Having face-to-face, virtual, or phone conversations is proven to have a positive effect on your well-being. Essentially, saying it aloud helps. For women of colour in particular, Therapy For Black Girls and The Black Therapist Database connects Black women with Black therapists in their area. Healing in Colour is a group of therapists across Canada available for sessions.
Shop around because, well, you are paying for it. Find what and who works for you, put your wellness first, and take the leap. Researching is just the first step!