Find solution
Does hypnotherapy really work?? And how much do sessions typically cost?

Are there free or low-cost therapy resources online?

  • Low-cost and/or free therapy resources? So I've decided I would benefit from seeing a therapist - mild blues/depression from time to time, along with some ongoing self-esteem issues - but the timing couldn't be worse, as we're about to switch to a health savings account plan at work, one that would make therapy prohibitively expensive for me. Are there low-cost and/or free therapy resources online - therapists that will have email exchanges or chat sessions, supportive "group talk" groups/forums, that kind of thing? (I'm aware that many therapists charge on a scale of what you can afford, and I'm exploring that too, but I'm still thinking that the traditional route may not be in the cards. But I really would like to talk some stuff out.)

  • Answer:

    There is http://www.dailystrength.org/ - online support groups.

anonymous at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

There is http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome which has been http://ask.metafilter.com/126534/Side-effects-of-CognitiveBehavioral-Therapy-CBT#1807601 on AskMe http://ask.metafilter.com/108786/I-need-to-find-meaning-in-life#1567030. Also a http://www.abc.net.au/rn/breakfast/stories/2009/2671237.htm yesterday spoke about a free internet-based education and treatment programs for people with anxiety and depression. According to the report, this on-line treatment has been successful in its first trial. It is called http://virtualclinic.org.au/. From their website: "VirtualClinic is a not-for-profit initiative of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia and the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia." These are both top-notch research centres. They are now looking for participants for their second set of trials. There are online exercises, homework, a forum and email communication between the therapists and participants.

Kerasia

You might be interested in checking out . It's a free and anonymous bulletin board for people who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. It's run by the creators of the , and programs which are also free. (MoodGYM is online CBT; e-couch offers a range of therapies, including CBT, for depression, general anxiety and social anxiety; BluePages offers evidence-based information about depression).

new_dawn

There are a lot of fairly serious ethical concerns with doing things online in that format, so you will have a pretty tough time finding legitimate/competent therapists who will, but nothing is impossible. The only problem is that the therapists who are offering services like that aren't worrying about the ethical concerns (confidentiality, privacy, factors affecting the ability to build a strong connection between client and therapist, lack of necessary information about the presentation of the person seeking counseling, possible reinforcement of negative coping strategies like avoiding face-to-face contact with other people, ad infinitum), and that's what would worry me about being on the receiving end of that counseling. I'm sure there are a lot of peer-led sources for support online in group format, and depending on what your personal concerns/issues are, you might be able to find something exceptional. Peer-led online communities around depression (and bipolar disorder) and anxiety are very strong. Here is a link to find in-person sliding scale counseling across the US: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/

so_gracefully

Some locations in the United States offer human resources referrals over the phone if you call http://www.211.org/. You might be able to find no-cost or low-cost local resources that way.

Gorgik

new_dawn

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.