How to Find the Right Online Therapist for Your Depression

Living with depression can be mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting every day. Luckily, however, it’s a challenge you don’t have to face alone. There are many different types of trained and qualified professionals who are available to help you navigate the many challenges that depression brings into your life. If you’re looking for online depression therapy specifically, here are some tips to help you find the right person for the job.

Different Types of Support

When it comes to finding online depression therapy, it’s so important to first do a bit of research to figure out exactly what type of support you’re looking for as there are some distinct differences between what the various types of mental health professionals do. For example, psychiatrists are medical doctors who are specialized in emotional and mental disorders, and they can diagnose disorders and prescribe medicine. Psychologists on the other hand have non-medical degrees and therefore can’t prescribe medicine but are skilled in diagnosing mental health challenges and providing individual or group treatment through psychotherapy. There are also social workers or licensed professional counselors who have master’s degrees in social work and psychology respectively and are trained to diagnose and counsel individuals or groups.

Seek out Referrals

When looking for the right online depression therapy service for you, another initial step to do in your research phase is to seek out referrals. Start by speaking with your regular family doctor and explain some of the challenges you’re experiencing, and they will likely be able to give you some advice around what type of support you need and might even have a referral for a specific mental health professional.

Make sure you also asked around to family and friends and seek out any positive experiences they’ve had with mental health professionals. Even if their therapist specialized in something different, many licensed professionals often belong to a joint clinic or therapy collectives with practitioners who have different specialties, so it’s a good place to start!

More Avenues for Research

If referrals just aren’t giving you the options you’re looking for, there are many other amazing resources to help you find a great online depression therapy provider. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) operates a helpline at 800-950-NAMI that you can call which can help you find some local support. You can also use the therapist locator on the Psychology Today website and sort by what locations are close to you.

If you’re in school or university, make sure you ask what counseling services are provided to students. Don’t forget to also check in with your employer to see what types of benefits or Employee Assistance Programs are provided as these can often offset the cost of therapy services, and finally, your insurance company might also have a provider search tool so don’t forget to check there as well!

If you’re looking for support to help you navigate living with depression, managing anxiety, repairing relationships, or any other number of mental health concerns, get in touch with us today at ACT Teletherapy. Our experienced mental health professionals will support you in working through these challenges towards a happier and healthier life.