This post is about Therapy. The first area I learned most about in school. Well, let me rephrase this. I went to UCI for my undergraduate degree. I studied cognitive sciences in the field of psychology. Then I went for my master’s at CSULB and studied social work. I attempted a Ph.D. program in clinical social work, but that institution had something against me and my belief system. So, I ended up with a psychodynamic certificate. That being said, my educational training did not prepare me for being a clinician, let alone with an integrative mental health clinician. So, I attended various training, more certificates, listened to people, and paid for lots and lots of supervision and case consultation. Along this path, I arrived here.
This is where I stand out from others in terms of mental health. You see, in my field, we see therapy as linear. You learn a particular treatment model, study theories, and understand more about what other researchers express explains the wonders of the mind. We don’t consider and rule other things such as spiritual traumas, malnutrition, lack of movement in the body, animals, the earth, and the environment. Therefore, going to a traditional therapist or counselor may differ from me.
Now, this is not good or bad. I am not suggesting my option or perspective is the right option. For example, you may be looking for someone clinically training in EMDR, an evidence-based practice based on research and talking with past patients has some viable and valuable techniques. I’m not trained in this modality, so you would want to find an expert in the field of EMDR.
The integrative method based on my last name, Octaves Method, comes from my personal experience of what has worked for me. It comes from the healing I have guided and supported children, teens, adults, and elderly patients with ways to heal themselves. To empower them and give them the freedom of choice. Much like a past counselor gave me when leaving an uncomfortable romantic relationship.
For me, therapy is about choices and not being stuck to one or the other. To have a variety of options and not fall victim again to what one belief system feels will be helpful. I like variety. Give me choices, let me choose, and have the freedom and flexibility with my mental wellness.
So, let’s talk about choices. After deciding to be strong and ask for help, one of the first choices is where to start. Here are some options to consider and my opinions about the strength and challenges of each choice.
One is going through your medical insurance. If you have medical insurance, you will contact your medical provider. This may be your primary care physician or child’s pediatrician. Most of these types of requests can be done by emailing your provider. Depending on the type of insurance you have, you can be given a number to a universally contracted agency. Most insurances will encourage you to meet with one of their in-house providers. However, appointments are difficult nowadays, and often may not see you weekly, which I think is minimal for therapeutic healing. They can direct you to outsource therapy if you can relay an urgent concern. For example, in California, Kaiser contracts with Beacon Health Options. So, they will refer you here to initiate a referral request. Next, you may be provided a list of names closest to you; some representatives will encourage you to log into the medical site and look for a provider on your own, and others, on rare occasions, will reach out to providers directly to schedule an appointment on your behalf. This is the first place many will start; at least, it is a start. This is usually less expensive, depending on your co-payment. It is also easier in some respects to find a counselor. However, this has its drawbacks. You don’t get to interview or talk with the clinician to see if this is a good fit. You have made it thus far, and you will venture into a relationship with someone; you want that person to be someone you think would be a good fit for you. In my opinion, finding a clinician is not like selecting a politician for office. You have a few candidates, and you want to choose the best of the few, but overall, all the candidates may not be suitable for you. IF you can find a good connection, feel you can build trust, then go for it.
Two is looking for a specialist in the area you need support in. There are various sites with lists of names. You can look for individuals trained in EMDR, in Trauma, in depression, in bipolar, the list goes on and on. Once you have narrowed it down to a few, you do your homework. I encourage you to visit their website and get to know them. See if their personality is one you think would be good and supportive for you along your journey. The first counselor I selected was at my college during my time at UCI. She was clinically trained and specialized in relationships within the African American community. She was a good fit for me, and I didn’t think she would judge me in ways I would have suspected judgment would follow if I were to see a man or a different person of color. This was where I was at during that period in my life. My last counselor was a person of a different ethnic group from men, and although still a woman, her cultural and life experiences were different. However, she was psychodynamically trained, and I knew I wanted to work on stuff during my childhood. This was a good fit for me. I considered CBT and play therapy counselors educated with these treatment modalities in looking for counselors for my children. When searching for what you need, there is more flexibility than working with medical insurance companies. This form of treatment is often the most expensive. So, keep this in mind. I know private practice clinicians that charge $150 on the low end up to $300 per session in California. So, this should be considered when thinking about your options.
Three, the options are surrounding online telehealth services. There are many such as BetterHelp, Talkspace, Calmerry, Amwell, Regain, Teen, Pride, and a few more. Calmerry, ranked the best overall, charges about $42-$90; these rates are rising in all areas due to inflation. I don’t have many patients or friends and family that choose this route, but I heard a few things. It is often difficult to get a counselor who is well trained and knowledgeable. Connecting with a therapist tends to run smoothly, and the counselors have been accessible. I know many therapists who start here as they build their practice. I must admit I even considered this since the onset of COVID. For some therapists, it is a way to develop their practice. The reimbursement rate is way below what they would typically receive from private pay or health insurance companies for other therapists.
These are the top three choices for most people. For option one, I used to accept health insurance. I used to work with medical insurance companies since I started my practice. However, insurance companies frequently change their rules. They often have limitations on what is billed for in treatment. As an integrative clinician, I use meditation practices to control the breathing. This soothes the agitated mind and body. I would not be able to bill appropriately because insurances companies don’t’ see meditation as a form of treatment. This would also include aspects of nutritional assessment and counseling. So your treatment is limited in my eyes. Insurance companies also want to label individuals as sick and require a diagnosis for reimbursement. I operate differently. Yes, I believe diagnosing people can be helpful, but everyone and all situations don’t need a diagnosis. More importantly, people need to understand what is going on and not label it. Lastly, health care is not accessible to all people, and although this is more about politics, it is still a social injustice, and because it limits one’s freedom to choose, I no longer work with health insurance.
People are anxious and worried about starting therapy. They feel judged, bringing about unconscious and preconscious feelings and experiences. When limited by insurance companies, genuinely hurting people struggle to get appropriate health and are often sent on a wild goose chase to find a counselor. This process is discouraging and overwhelming for some. Then once a counselor is located, the connection between the patient-client may not be a good fit. Then the burden once again falls on the patient. Either stay in an unhelpful relationship because it is covered by insurance and leave try to find someone else or give up, which most people end up doing. I can no longer participate in processes that are not helpful and do not bring people towards wellness, happiness, and success.
I want to end with a proverb from my book, “Heal thy mind: 7 strategies to wellness, happiness, and success. “Where no counsel is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.” Taken from Christian Proverbs: 11:14. Give yourself the gift to heal and explore the various options available to you to ask for help. You don’t have just one option. This proverb, to me, illustrates that if there is one option, we limit our success. If there are many options, we are supported with the safety of others.
Thank you for listening, and remember, a superpower is putting yourself first, putting your healing first, and searching and asking for help from others.
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