Need help finding a therapist
June 2, 2010 3:25 PM   Subscribe

I need help finding a therapist in MA. I have no clue where to start and have some questions.

First a little background. I am 24 years old male living in central MA. I am pretty sure I am battling depression along with social anxiety and other things like low self-esteem.

I was doing things ok by myself but this past weekend everything kinda spiraled out of control, I did some things that really hurt some of the people who I care about and I realized that I really need to get some help or things will just get worse. I am be facing some legal issues from my actions and I feel incredibly guilty as I should. I think the depression comes from not being able to get a job, even a part time job, along with having to move back into my parents house.

So I need to find a therapist in central MA, but the problems are that I don't have health insurance, I have no money in my bank account, no job to get money, no car to drive anywhere. I don't want to get my family involved because I don't want them to think negatively of me. I have one friend that I can trust and have told him about my issues and has agreed to help but I can't rely on him all the time.

What I am looking for is any recommendations, or any resources that can help me find a therapist or psychologist or whatever I need and to help me fix these issues.

Throwaway email is needshelpmefi@gmail.com
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Anonymous, you're courageous for reaching out to get the help you need. Have you applied for MassHealth yet? (This is a pretty good overview of the application process, eligibility requirements, and benefits.) Having insurance would help open up some options for you.


Even if you want to get started on therapy right away, submit your MassHealth application-- what do you have to lose? You might pay out of pocket for a few visits, then be able to switch to copays. Eligible, very low income, non-students pay nothing for coverage and have reasonable copays. Some MassHealth recipients are even eligible for rides to and from appointments.
posted by Gable Oak at 3:47 PM on June 2, 2010


Agreed - the first step is to get some health insurance.

Start here.


Good luck - this too shall pass.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 3:49 PM on June 2, 2010


The Social Work Therapy Referral Service has been recommended on MetaFilter before, and is specific to Massachusetts. I don't know what your options are regarding insurance and low-cost providers, but I imagine they would.
posted by serathen at 4:08 PM on June 2, 2010 [1 favorite]


There are definitely some resources for getting therapy without insurance... one place to find out more is the SAMHSA web directory here.
posted by so_gracefully at 4:12 PM on June 2, 2010


It sounds like a social service agency which offers counseling would be perfect for you. Quite often they work on a sliding fee scale, which could mean paying as little as $1.00 if that is what you can afford. If you truly want help, it is available. Good luck.
posted by ChicagoTherapyConnection at 10:17 AM on June 4, 2010


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