As the New Year begins many of us are making our New Year’s resolutions. According to a Google search, the top five resolutions of 2022 were:

1. Lose weight

2. Eat healthier or change diet

3. Get fit/Exercise more

4. Spend more time with family and friends

5. Be more aware and take care of mental health

It is great to see taking care of mental health rising up into the top 5! I am very hopeful that this is a sign of ending the stigma associated with seeking mental health services. Our mental health is the foundation of the many of the other changes people may wish to make in their lives. From my perspective, I would definitely say that mental health awareness and care plays a role in each of the other four items in that list. If you are experiencing distress about not being able to take care of your mental health on your own, there are licensed professionals available to help!

It is often a daunting task to seek help from a mental health service provider. Just picking up the phone to call someone you don’t know can be an excruciating task for someone who is unfamiliar and especially when distressed. Trying to decide where to call is another difficulty for someone who has never reached out for help before. Who should I see? A psychiatrist? Psychologist? Social worker? Mental health counselor? What are the differences between all these professions?! How do I choose who or what agency to call? Hopefully this article will answer some of these questions and be helpful to anyone considering accessing to mental health care.

For a person who is unfamiliar with the array of service providers to choose from, here are very brief descriptions of the licensed providers who are commonly available locally.

* Psychiatrist: This is a medical doctor who can diagnose, treat and prescribe medications for mental health disorders.

* Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner: These are licensed practitioners who can also prescribe medication and diagnose mental health disorders. They work under the supervision of a licensed physician.

* Psychologist: There are Ph.D.’s, Psy.D.’s who have doctoral degrees (have the title of Dr.) but they cannot (currently) prescribe medications. They can provide psychotherapy/counseling and some will also do specific psychological testing and assessments.

* Social Worker: This practitioner is licensed either as LMSW or LCSW. The LMSW can provide counseling under the supervision of an approved LCSW. An LCSW can also diagnose mental health disorders as well as provide treatment. An LCSW-R can diagnose, provide treatment and is eligible for reimbursement from most major insurance companies. They have met requirements determined by NYS for this reimbursement status.

* Mental Health Counselor: In New York State a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) can provide counseling but cannot diagnose a mental disorder.

A good place to start when seeking this level of services is actually to contact your insurance provider to find out the specific agencies or providers who are going to accept your insurance. That can sometimes narrow the options down for you. You can also check with your employer if you have or to see if you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which provides you with a certain number of free sessions under your EAP benefits. An EAP referral will link you to qualified providers in that network or provide referral resource information. Family Service of the Chautauqua Region provides EAP contracted services to many companies in the area. (Our EAP services include much more than just counseling sessions too.)

You can also ask your primary care physician for recommendations and to make a referral for you. You can seek “word of mouth” referrals from everyone you are comfortable asking. You could also ask the counseling staff working in your school district (especially if you are seeking help for your child). They are very familiar with a wide variety of counselors and agencies.

You can also search the internet for information and resources. When doing online searches be wary of review sites. No one is actually fact checking those reviews. Just like any product reviews anywhere, false reviews are out there and may be “fake” positive reviews to encourage more business and “fake” negative reviews to try to reduce the competition. Sadly, even in a profession built upon the development of a trusted relationship, these things are happening.

It is essential to determine that a counselor is a “good fit” for you. Important questions you may want to ask are: “What hours do you have appointments?” “Are you available outside of normal business hours and if not who is?” “What experience do you have treating issues like mine?” “Do you have a professional license?” The most important thing to indicate a good therapeutic relationship is your comfort level while talking with the provider. Do you feel understood? Are you at ease sharing your personal information with this person? Do you feel supported? Are your concerns being taken seriously?

Not all providers will be a “good fit”. Even if someone is recommended highly but you just don’t feel comfortable or understood, this may not be the best person for you. Everyone is different and what works for another person may not be what works best for you. You may need to “try out” a few people to find your best fit person.

Research has shown that after about 6 sessions you should be beginning to make some progress and get an idea of your ability to benefit from the services. Many therapists do a check in with you at the end of the session to ask you what you found helpful and what you did not so they are making a point of providing treatment that is tailored to your specific needs. If you are not asked, feel free to let the provider know these things anyway!

At Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, callers are asked routine triage questions and treatment preferences. The information may be reviewed by the Clinical Director to recommend an appropriate provider/level of care. If we do not have the right person available, we will refer the caller to other recommended services to choose from.

If you are ever in need of services do not hesitate to contact our office at 488-1971. Our agency mission is to strengthen the mental health and well-being of individuals, families and our community. Therefore, our aim is to link people with the right services to accomplish that mission!