Seeking Counseling

Tips for Obtaining and Using Counseling Services

• There are many providers of mental health services. Make sure that you obtain services from a licensed practitioner or someone who is in training under a licensed individual. 
• Ask your primary care physician for recommendations. Other ways you can get good recommendations for a counselor or a psychologist are your clergy, your insurance company, or calling a professional association, like MAMHCA.org (for counselors) or MassPsych.org (for psychologists). 
• To have a successful counseling experience, you need to be able to trust and work with your mental health provider. Don’t be afraid of asking potential providers for a 15 minute free-of-cost informational session to see if you are a good fit. After all, you will be sharing with this person many personal and intimate details about your life. 
• Ask the provider about their training and their treatment orientation, and how they are able to help people who have the same presenting issues as you do. 
• Make sure you understand your insurance coverage (if you are using your health insurance benefits), or the financial cost of therapy from the outset of the treatment. 
• our counselor/therapist is a professional – even though you may feel very close to him/her, after all, you are sharing your experiences with him/her - your counselor is not and will not be your friend. They will help you lead a happier, healthier life and will be proud to see you move on with your life. 
• You can work out some life issues or problems in short-term therapy, or you may work on long-standing issues in a longer period of time. Discuss with your therapist your priorities and what would you like to focus on first. 

Remember: Caring for our emotional and mental health is just as important as caring for our physical being! 

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