My nephew had very positive experiences with Better Help and I’d argue that for some young people, it is better to talk to anyone rather than no one. Young people are very comfortable now with talking via video. Maybe my nephew was lucky, and no doubt it could be damaging talking to the wrong person. There must be a way of vetting people, but I am not sure about the particulars.
I myself had a wonderful therapist who had a master’s in social work. Good luck in finding someone licensed who has a doctorate. And in finding a therapist who takes insurance. I’m not saying anyone should work with someone not qualified, but it can also be really hard to find people. I wouldn’t restrict my search only to those holding doctorates.
If possible, I think personal recommendations are still a good way to find a therapist, but that can be tricky because people are often reluctant to discuss the topic.
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I would put this out there too - depending on how bad the situation is, , I wouldn’t even limit yourself to those who take insurance. Insurance is horrible with mental health providers, some putting session limits on treatment when that’s not how therapy works. After COVID especially it became even more difficult to find good quality therapists who specialize in teens and are taking on new patients - insurance is yet another limiter. I wouldn’t limit to doctorates - we’ve had good luck with both doctorates and masters) but certainly focus on experience overall and especially with teens. And I would vet by talking to them alone first and getting a sense of their experience with kids, how they would approach your specific situation. The first thing that any therapist has ever said to me was that what you share here is confidential and would not be judged - that is so important when you are spilling your guts to someone and making yourself vulnerable (whether dealing with depression or not). You can even ask during your vetting if you can get a report of what was shared and any therapist worth their degree should tell you absolutely not. They can give you a report of how your child is doing, guide you in how to behave but they should not divulge anything shared without permission - and certainly not deride or “judge” the child.
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Psychology Today. It shows endorsements from colleagues. Of course it can be great to get someone who is recommended by a friend, but Psychology Today verifies the therapists they list and you can see which have been endorsed by their peers.
I have not had any problems finding therapists that take our insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield). Each of my daughter’s sessions is a $25 co-pay. Would be $150 w/o insurance. She can go to 6 sessions under insurance for what it would cost for one session w/o. If you have plenty of money to burn feel free to pay out of pocket, but I would rather save that money and get more sessions in with a good LCSW who takes our insurance.
You are fortunate. I have Anthem and it does not cover my therapy.
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We have Aetna which does but we had a heck of a time finding anyone taking new patients, and at the time it was pretty much an emergency. My cousin’s wife helped a bit (child psychiatrist), and then found some options in psychology today, but we pay OOP fir out of network (but at least reached that $7000 deductible). She has her own practice on Long Island, does not take insurance, and has a waitlist for new patients.
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Everyone is not this fortunate. And if you’re looking for someone who has experience with kids or have complex issues, it’s not always that easy. No one has money to burn but when you are desperate for good care, nothing else matters.
I would say it’s the other way around. You are pretty fortunate if you can afford to pay out of pocket. Not everyone has the money to afford that and they will go without care.
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I’m sorry you haven’t been able to connect with someone who takes your insurance, but I’m glad you are able to afford it without insurance. With Psychology Today’s website you can filter by insurance carrier and I see quite a few in Maine who take Anthem, but might not be the right person for you and then you have to see if they are taking new patients. It’s a lot to wade through.
But for @hello06’s daughter I would at least start with the providers that take insurance unless money is just not a problem.
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You’re right, I’m fortunate to pay out of pocket (though it wasn’t a choice) as you’re fortunate to have insurance cover it. My original point was that insurance doesn’t always cover what’s needed (I haven’t found it to).
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