10 Tips for
Getting Good Mental-Health Care

Here’s an interesting fact: while the Centre Region has grown by nearly 35 percent since 1980, the number of private practice mental-health professionals in the area—mainly psychologists—has grown by over 450 percent. We are adding private practice professionals at a rate over five times the growth rate of our local population. These numbers don’t even include mental-health services added in hospitals, at Penn State, or by government and religious social service agencies.

This is a good thing. Mental-health has been the stepchild of health-care for too long. But even though more people are receiving professional mental-health care, they still don’t talk about it much. So here is a short list of important things those seeking mental-health care should know:

• Get help early instead of late. Some people are embarrassed about needing help. Don’t be. Nearly everybody needs help sometime. The earlier you get treatment, the quicker and easier it will be.

• Get referrals. Talk to your physician and to close friends who have used a professional. If possible, interview a few candidates before choosing one.

• Choose a professional licensed by the state or certified by a reputable professional organization. Anyone can call himself a therapist or a counselor. But a person claiming to be a licensed psychologist, social worker, marriage and family counselor, doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathic medicine, or professional counselor is regulated by the state and listed on the Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs website (www.dos.state.pa.us). People with these titles must follow state laws regarding ethics, practice, confidentiality, and training. They can be reported and disciplined if they fail to do so. Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists usually have Ph.D. degrees and specialize in psychotherapy and testing. Social workers usually have master’s degrees and do case work and psychotherapy. Psychiatrists are licensed doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine and are usually board-certified in psychiatry. They can prescribe medications and provide psychotherapy. Chemical Addictions Counselors (CACs) have various degrees and are certified by a non-governmental organization called the Pennsylvania Certification Board (www.pacertboard.org). Certified professionals can lose their certifications if they don’t follow the guidelines of the organization that certifies them.

• Choose a professional you are comfortable with. Research shows that your progress depends a lot on how good your relationship is with your therapist, how much you trust her competence, and how much you expect to be helped.

• Mental-health care can involve medications, psychotherapy or both. My advice: Don’t use medications alone to solve psychological problems. Psychotropic medications are helpful for many people, but while a pill can make you feel better, it won’t always help you learn how to solve your emotional problems or change the situations that cause them. Only psychotherapy can do that, and its use, in combination with medications, is on the rise nationally.
n Choose a psychotherapist who will make you work. Psychological progress often comes from improvement in self-esteem, by learning new mental and behavioral skills, and by increased self-understanding. Many people do well with someone who gives them tasks to do between sessions so they can improve in these areas. You need to learn to be healthy and independent.

• Be clear about confidentiality. Your therapist should work hard to protect your confidentiality, but she must also protect you and others if someone is in severe danger. Talk to your therapist about how she will protect your information and what the law requires. Confidentiality is rarely a problem.

• Ask for a treatment plan. A good therapist will generate a treatment plan based on research and theory. You should ask about your treatment plan, its research underpinnings, and the experience and training of your therapist. Speak up if you don’t like what you hear so you can forge a plan to which you both subscribe.

• Take advantage of groups. Psychotherapy groups are therapist-led and are a powerful and inexpensive form of treatment. Support groups like AA, Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous, Nar-Anon, and the Women’s Resource Center’s Domestic Violence Survivors Support Group don’t focus on psychotherapy, but are very beneficial and can be powerful adjuncts to therapy.

• Measure your progress. Keep track of how well your progress matches your treatment plan. If you aren’t making progress, tell your therapist and see what adjustments need to be made. Don’t be afraid to speak up or even ask for another therapist. A good therapist shouldn’t be offended. Lack of progress is not a sign of failure; it’s simply a sign of a less-than-optimal match. – SCM