Mental health is a complicated issue that can often leave people feeling alone and unable to ask for help. However, therapy has been shown to be an effective way of treating mental illness or managing conditions like depression or anxiety by providing support and advice. If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious it may be time to reach out for help.

Why therapy is so important

Therapy is a series of sessions where you work one on one with a professional who you are paying to listen to you. The aim is to establish whether you have an underlying problem with your mental health or whether you are simply having a bad day.

Some common mental health problems include depression, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Once you've established whether you are experiencing an issue, or you are just having a bad day, the therapist can recommend a course of treatment and therapy which suits you best.
You can access therapy through an online therapist.

The reason why people don't consider therapy, is because they don't think that they will be able to afford it. Online therapy is a cost effective way of accessing mental health support.

The benefits of therapy

Therapy has the potential to help with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression by helping you work through your thoughts, feelings and fears and become more productive and purposeful, as well as have more confidence and self-awareness.

There are many different types of therapy available depending on what you need. Some types of therapy work better for certain conditions. In some cases, a mental health professional may recommend talking therapy where a therapist encourages you to discuss how you are feeling, what you think and why. In others, a person may be referred to a counsellor, or in an emergency situation, you can speak to a GP's surgery.

Online therapy can be the first port of call for someone who feels suicidal, call 111 and they can refer you to a GP's surgery.

Finding a therapist

The first step in finding a therapist is looking at your insurance and seeing if it covers therapy. If you don’t have a health insurance plan that covers therapy, you may need to look for a private health insurance plan that does.

The next step is finding an online therapist or even a therapist by referral. You can find many online resources that are connected to different social media platforms. Sites like Reddit or even Yik Yak or Twitter can be great for finding therapists that you can connect with via live chat, video chat, and even by sending an anonymous text message. The chat rooms are often very informative and comfortable.

Another option you have is to talk to your primary care provider. They can point you in the right direction.
How to find a therapist for free

There are several different ways to find a therapist that will be able to help you. A popular place to start is through your local mental health clinic, which is the service you are eligible to receive from the NHS in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland. Another option is to contact your GP and ask to be referred to a mental health therapist, which may include face to face sessions.

But as with most things in life, not everyone has easy access to mental health therapy, so some of you may have to pay to access a therapist.