Community Mental Health Centers Continued…
Community mental health centers are often training grounds for budding therapists. Therapists learn most of what they eventually practice by doing and being supervised by trained psychotherapists. So while the quality of the psychotherapy may leave a little something to be desired than that of an experienced therapist, it is often better than no care at all. Therapists in training are often more energetic, devoted, compassionate and focused than some experienced therapists, qualities of great importance in developing a positive therapeutic relationship (something invaluable for a client’s improvement in therapy).
Community mental health centers generally don’t see people experiencing life problems such as career changes or marital problems (unless they result in the person getting a serious mental disorder). Because their resources are limited, these public clinics tend to focus on more serious mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
These mental health centers often have long waiting lists to get an appointment, so be prepared for a wait (sometimes approaching months) to obtain treatment. Complain to your local politician to try and get more resources allocated to the center, as usually such centers are always in need of more funding.
Other Options
Other options to look into include a local support group, group psychotherapy, an open clinical research trial at a research institute or university, or a local university. Group psychotherapy, for instance, can often be had at costs far less than individual psychotherapy because many more people are contributing to reimburse the therapist’s time. Clinical research trials help us learn more about treatments that work and don’t work, and sometimes include a psychotherapy component which is paid for.
Working with What You Have
Life often doesn’t present us with the luxury of choosing what we most need when we most need it. Although many people feel like they can’t afford psychotherapy when they are at a low point in their life and have few financial resources, sometimes psychotherapy may be what’s most needed.
Don’t give up if finding low-cost psychotherapy in your community is your goal. It can sometimes be frustrating to call around from therapist to therapist, from group practice to community mental health center, to find a therapist that can meet your price and is available for an appointment. Helping prepare yourself for the process can help you set your expectations accordingly.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 15 Aug 2007
