#vs. actually getting over that barrier to vetting therapists in the first place

[not-poignant]

Do you have any tips for actually finding a good therapist? I've been wanting to find a therapist recently, but the only one readily available and who can be covered financially for me is my school/uni therapist. I did try to go in for one session as "trial" and came out feeling even worse than when I came in. I really don't know what to do.

There are a lot of really great articles out there (like this one), if you just google: 'How to find a good therapist' that are going to cover more things in their articles than I can cover in an ask (especially if you focus on your country - financial aid in Australia is different to financial aid in the UK or USA), because I don't have thousands of words on this subject and it is a subject that kind of deserves that much!

So I recommend going off and searching for at least 3-5 articles on this subject instead of going off my response alone. This subject is too important to trust some rando on the internet, and meanwhile actual psychological organisations have got like...hundreds of articles on this subject alone.

That being said, I've never actually heard any good stories from people who have seen school/university therapists. They really only are equipped to handle quite simple, non-complex matters - anxiety around homework (regular anxiety, not severe anxiety), feeling overwhelmed, not knowing if you should change your degree etc.

They are just - overall - not equipped to help you, depending on what your issues are. It would be like seeing a podiatrist for a heart issue, just because you can afford the former, doesn't mean they can do anything for your heart issue. And because they don't understand the latter, they might leave you feeling worse off.

I would invite you to look for therapists that offer sliding scales (they are out there) and to widen your scope to include practitioners who aren't psychologists or psychiatrists (i.e. social workers, counselors, psychotherapists) who often charge much, much less. Also remember to consider telehealth / online appointments.

It's worth emailing anyone you're interested in to ask them about a sliding scale, being honest about your circumstances. While some don't offer one, you might be surprised by how many do. The fact is, many can't openly say this on their website/s, but every psychologist and therapist I've ever seen has actually had a sliding scale. It sometimes took a lot longer to find them, but those people are often much more sensitive to situations relating to chronic illness and poverty in the first place.

If you can only afford one 'good' session every two months, or one 'crappy' session more often, it's better to have one session with someone who can actually help you.

In the meantime, you might also want to look at your local library for books on mental illness/es (remember, any library can order in books from elsewhere as well), including workbooks, or any kind of books. If you suspect you might have anxiety, look up books for anxiety. If you suspect you might have depression, look up books on that subject. Libraries are free, and many don't even have late fines anymore (though you can check if you do).

Consider websites that offer free options for venting/talking to strangers like BlahTherapy, for example. There are places like the University of Queenslaned eCentreClinic that offer completely free 3 months courses on managing a bunch of different disorders and health issues. It's CBT based, but one of the things it offers are about three short phone sessions with a psychiatrist to see how you're doing. The wait times are worth it, and I've done one myself. Not every course is active right now, but I took 'Chronic Conditions' because the PTSD one wasn't available, and it was worth it. I mean it was free, but I was also surprised at how much it helped, given it was CBT/mindfulness based. There are free meditation apps like Smiling Mind which offer a ton of different meditations, as well as places like InSight Timer (which are less mental health based, but there's more meditations).

If your issue/s for finding a therapist are mostly financial, it's necessary to sit down and crunch the numbers - what can you realistically afford if you only see a therapist once a month instead of once a week or fortnight? (For example, I only see my therapist once every 3-5 weeks and finances are a big part of that). Once every two months? Or every three? Are you emailing them to ask about sliding scales?

Outside of that, the articles you will find will largely ask you to a) figure out some goals you want to achieve in advance and b) research what kinds of therapy / types of therapy appeal to you most, so you can narrow in based on say, modality, or subject.

But when finances are the biggest barrier, it's important to think laterally. And it's super important to not assume that just because a facility offers free therapy, that therapy is going to be good for you. Not all therapists are made equal, and the ones working at universities are often there to handle - specifically - university issues. At best, they might refer you onto someone you can't afford (or maybe can, if they have amazing contacts). At worst - and this is most of the stories I've heard - they just can't be helpful for anything more complex, and are sometimes more harmful.

But yeah, even googling 'I can't afford therapy in X country what can I do' will be more helpful than asking me, anon. I don't know your exact circumstances (and probably wouldn't have a tailored answer anyway unless you know my exact skillsets lol) - there are definitely a ton of places you haven't explored yet, and hopefully you find more articles / books / websites / apps and options that help! :)

The fact is, therapy doesn't actually even help everyone who has a mental illness or illness/es (and I'm not saying it won't help you! Just that there are other options in the meantime while finances are tight), and plenty of them will heal via say... journalling, talking to friends, going to meditation workshops, using free meditation apps etc. We find healing outside of therapy all the time. And I'm not saying you have to do that, but my point is - there are a ton of other healing things you can do right now that will be worth trying, and that won't break the bank, or even touch the bank, lol.

ETA: I also wanted to add, feeling worse after a therapist session is actually not uncommon and doesn't mean the therapy was bad. Therapy involves going to painful places and sometimes stirring up emotions that need to be processed, and while it should avoid decompensation, it's important to recognise that like... there's a line between 'this therapy is bad for me' or 'this therapist is minimising my issues' and 'I feel fucking terrible, but anyone would, after talking about this subject.' The latter is like...just how therapy will be, sometimes. Like... there used to be sayings about it - but therapy won't make you feel better a lot of the time, until sometimes weeks, months or years later. It might make some people feel hopeful. But it can make others exhausted and tired. It's hard work. So it's good to have energy to do it. Therapy does not, by default, always feel good to do.

The trick is learning the difference between 'I feel bad because this is bad therapy' or 'I feel bad because this is difficult.' And sometimes even with the former it's 'I feel bad because this is bad therapy and I can tell my therapist that and they will change it which will be a powerful moment' and 'this therapist is just a dickhead, actually.'