How To Find A Counselor For Your Teenager

To find a counselor for your teen keep these few elements to keep in mind.  They will save you time and get your teen help as soon as possible.

Mental health services are decentralized so you have to know where to look and who to ask. The services are spread out and often private businesses which makes it very difficult for the consumer to find.

 Here are a few tips to narrow down the search.

1. How will Counseling Be Paid For?

Private Pay or Insurance Pay?

How you will pay for on-going therapy is an important first question. Mental health care is not a one visit solution. It is a long term time and financial commitment.

Care is divided between insurance and private pay. It's important to sort your search according to the pay that your family can commit to for two to three months.

Private pay therapists can cost anywhere from- sliding scale to $250 a session.

Insurance can cover all fees or require a copay. If you find a provider who is not in your insurance network that your teen really wants to work with ,  ask the insurance provider if they  will refund for out of network providers.

It is not uncommon that all the providers in your insurance network are full. At that point you can petition your insurance to pay for an out of network provider based on the lack of access to care in their network. This can work.…sometimes.

2.     What Level of Care Does Your Teen Need?

Mental Health care facilities and private counselors are sorted by severity of the issue.

Hospital Mental Health Care- Crisis intervention- Your teen is currently immenientily suicidal or self harming.

Residential Mental Health- Long term care for teens coming out of crisis hospital settings or for teens whose behavior is so destructive to themselves or others at home that they are unsafe and they are unwilling to attend or engage in counseling. 

Outpatient Mental Health Care Clinics or Programs- For teens who have a history of crisis state mental health instability but who are interested and willing in creating a better life for themselves. This often includes weekly individual counseling, group therapy, and or a psycho-educational class on coping with life stress.

Private Community Mental Health Care Individual or Clinic- Ideal for a teen who is willingly seeking support for difficult life experiences but is not in a crisis situation that threatens their well being. Typically used for learning how to manage anxiety or depression symptoms, resolve old trauma experiences, learn new ways to improve friendship or family relationships.

Clinics can offer more service options and shorter wait lists; they also often offer both private pay or insurance pay options.

Supportive Group Therapy- A great alternative to individual therapy to learn new ways to manage stress and or depression symptoms or develop insight into life stages and stressors. This can be helpful in addition to individual therapy or used alone. It is often less expensive and is ideal for people who learn well from a group.

Once you have identified the care level now you can start asking around. 

Ways to search for teen therapy- 

1.    Insurance - start by looking at their provider list. This is usually found on their website.

2.    Word of mouth- Ask friends, family or your teens pediatrician. School counselors also know local therapists with a good reputation. The names you are given may not be accepting clients at this time but ask that person for a referral to a colleague.

3.     Google It! Most therapists and clinics have some form of contact page online with a description of what care they provide and fees.

4.    Psychology Today.com has a great directory of therapists throughout the nation called Find a Therapist.  The therapist directory is a great way to sort through all the providers in your area. You sort the search according to your insurance provider, area code, fee, and specialty.

Once you have landed on some names you will  need to deal with following up with phone calls, waitlist and scheduling but at that stage you are almost done.

Hang in there! Providing counseling support to your teen is worth it for you and for them. If you find the right fit that person could become a great resource and many for years to come.