Not sure how I would've gotten this far in 2020 without weekly therapy.

Got a bunch of messages today asking questions about how to navigate therapy, so here’s a thread on the process. Pass it on!

PS: if you have any tips, jump in at any time. I’ll retweet all suggestions so others can learn. #mentalhealth #endthestigma

First off... the first time I posted about seeing a therapist on Instagram, I had literally over 100 people reply and say that they see a therapist too.

Of the 750 people saw that story, 100 () of them replied to say that they too see a therapist.

At the time I was looking for a therapist, I was coincidentally living with one. He was a therapist at Boston University, and a really awesome friend.

He suggested http://psychologytoday.com . I popped in there and did some searching. You can filter the search based on your goals.

You can also search specific specialities, which they categorize as “issues” as exampled here.

You can also search by insurance (many insurance companies are waiving copays right now for telehealth... we’ll get into that in a bit) as well as the gender of the therapist (non-binary included).

Other demographic filters are provided too.

Ultimately, this will narrow a large list down to people who *might* work for your goals.

Now the hard part starts. Reach out to a few, and let them know what you’re looking for. If you don’t know, tell them that. That’s ok too.

Prepare to not hear back from a few. Some might be full (go figure, we’re in a pandemic). But a good one will refer you to a colleague.

That’s how I found mine; a referral from someone I thought might be a good fit. I’ve been working with him since summer 2018, initially monthly and then every few weeks.

Now we’re weekly and have been since the spring. It ebbs and flows.

Bottom line, as with anything, the first few steps are challenging but I promise you it’ll be worth it. I don’t always have something specific to talk about now that I’m seeing mine weekly, but it’s always worth the time.

What questions do you have? Please reach out via a reply or DM any time.

Many therapists are doing telehealth. With mine, we started with video and now just do phone calls. I usually take it while going for a walk in the mid afternoon.

And I think that’s all I’ve got!

One more bottom line, as I’ve talked about over and over on the podcast. It’s ok to not be ok; there are plenty of people going through the same or similar things.

Reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but in fact a sign of strength.

If cost is a prohibiting factor, check out @biggerthanthe_. That’s my *only* knock on therapy... the lack of accessibility for those that need it most.

BTTT aims to raise awareness of importance of mental health through trail running and their programs support no cost therapy!