I need to see a shrink help can I get help for free?
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There should be a local community mental health center that will provide services for you based on a sliding-fee scale. I know the mental health center located in my area charges a minimum of $11 per session. The mental health center should also be able to arrange a payment plan for you based on when you are able to pay.
Additionally, you may qualify for Medicaid and Medicare benefits that will provide the payment for your services.
Unfortunately, it may be very hard to get therapy for free. Most therapist will work on a sliding scale, but it is felt that if it is so important to fix what is broken, then other less important expenses can be traded for therapy.
Look up in the phone book for your state or county mental health center. Most are on an ability to pay basis.
Realistically, it may be hard to find someone. Community Mental Health centers (CMH's; I work at one) often have sliding fee scales, but in many states their funding has been cut so badly that they may only serve the most severely mentally ill individuals. But if you contact them, they may know of some resources for you.
There are other agencies that provide help as well. Don't get turned off if they have religious names that don't fit your beliefs - they aren't generally about proselytizing. Look in the phone book under "Counseling" or "psychotherapy" and call the nonprofits to see if they can offer something you can afford.
If you live near a big university, contact their psychology dept. When I trained, we had a clinic with a sliding fee scale. There is some evidence to show that trainee psychotherapists actually do better than those with a lot of experience.
If you have any kind of health insurance, you could start with your doctor. Primary care physicians often can help sort out problems, prescribe medications to help with mood or sleep, and make referrals.
I would be extremely cautious about online "therapy". I'm a psychologist, and I know of no certification or accreditation for online counseling services. You could easily find yourself (best case) not helped or psychologically abused, or even manipulated into identity theft or something else nasty.
If time is an issue, you may have to set priorities. Do you want 100% of the things you are currently doing in your uncomfortable life, or can you live with 95% of them plus a chance to make things better? Lots of places have evening and weekend hours, if that helps.
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