Any good low-cost NYC psych clinics?
April 28, 2005 11:23 PM Subscribe
Can anyone else reccommend low-cost or free psychology clinics in NYC?
I have decided that it's time to pursue the possibilty of a psych consulation. However I do not have medical insurance, and cannot afford to pay out of my own pocket. Does anyone have any reccomendations?
I seem to remember that a MeFite worked at a free or low-cost psych clinic in NYC. Can this person come forward with some info? Or others point me to the previous thread where (s)he posted a link to their clinic? That would be great.
I have decided that it's time to pursue the possibilty of a psych consulation. However I do not have medical insurance, and cannot afford to pay out of my own pocket. Does anyone have any reccomendations?
I seem to remember that a MeFite worked at a free or low-cost psych clinic in NYC. Can this person come forward with some info? Or others point me to the previous thread where (s)he posted a link to their clinic? That would be great.
It is not free, but NewYork-Presbyterian has a sliding scale treatment option (I believe $20 a visit is the least expensive but they may work out something for you if you do not have insurance). Defintinely contact them as they are professional and may be able to reccomend a free service.
posted by mlis at 9:27 AM on April 29, 2005
posted by mlis at 9:27 AM on April 29, 2005
you can try this place too:
The New York City Free Clinic Sidney Hillman Health Center
16th East 16th Street, 3rd Floor
Manhattan, NY 10003
Saturday morning hours
An appointment is necessary
917-544-0735 (4-6 pm weekdays and 9-12 Saturday) or (212) 263-1001 (alternate # between the hours of 4-6 PM weekdays)
Accepts uninsured and underserved
(if you're gay or lesbian, i recommend the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. If not, i bet they know where to recommend too--they rock)
posted by amberglow at 9:28 AM on April 29, 2005
The New York City Free Clinic Sidney Hillman Health Center
16th East 16th Street, 3rd Floor
Manhattan, NY 10003
Saturday morning hours
An appointment is necessary
917-544-0735 (4-6 pm weekdays and 9-12 Saturday) or (212) 263-1001 (alternate # between the hours of 4-6 PM weekdays)
Accepts uninsured and underserved
(if you're gay or lesbian, i recommend the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. If not, i bet they know where to recommend too--they rock)
posted by amberglow at 9:28 AM on April 29, 2005
Callen-Lorde won't ask for proof of yr sexuality, either - I mean, I'm pretty sure they are cool about helping out people of any sexuality, although their rates are not as generous as they once were.
If you belong to any sort of minority, you should check if there's a specific organization set up to help members of it. I have got free therapy through my having epilepsy, and my having survived a form a cancer, and in neither case was the therapy focused toward those medical issues at all; simply by 'belonging' to a group I was eligible.
I also had low cost/free therapy at Blanton-Peale on 29th street. They are connected to a church, but my experience there was totally secular. Their website makes it look like religion's a bigger element of their process than it was in my experience; I don't know if that's partly just a 'luck of the draw' thing. Actually, now that I think back, I think I did tell them when I first called that I was an atheist, and they had no problem accommodating that. So it might be worth being upfront about whatever your religious leanings are, just so you're paired with someone who you can relate to.
The hard part is finding someone you actually think is helping. A lot of the people who do free/cheap therapy will still be students, or else might be very burnt out and not very good... Sometimes you'll just get someone you click with. Other times, you just have to make the best of what you get, and try to use it as an opportunity to learn (i.e., if you think the therapist is just not making sense, consider that you're the one being unreasonable, etc).
I tried a lot of different therapists in this city, and it was probably good for me, but I can also say that none of them "solved" my problems, so don't go into it thinking it'll be a magic bullet, because it very well may just be a lot of stressful, painful, seemingly useless sessions that very slowly allow something to creep up that maybe alters things - or maybe things got better for some other reason :).
If you want to ask me anything in particular, feel free to email me (just put "mefi" in the subject line). And best of luck!
posted by mdn at 5:42 PM on April 29, 2005
If you belong to any sort of minority, you should check if there's a specific organization set up to help members of it. I have got free therapy through my having epilepsy, and my having survived a form a cancer, and in neither case was the therapy focused toward those medical issues at all; simply by 'belonging' to a group I was eligible.
I also had low cost/free therapy at Blanton-Peale on 29th street. They are connected to a church, but my experience there was totally secular. Their website makes it look like religion's a bigger element of their process than it was in my experience; I don't know if that's partly just a 'luck of the draw' thing. Actually, now that I think back, I think I did tell them when I first called that I was an atheist, and they had no problem accommodating that. So it might be worth being upfront about whatever your religious leanings are, just so you're paired with someone who you can relate to.
The hard part is finding someone you actually think is helping. A lot of the people who do free/cheap therapy will still be students, or else might be very burnt out and not very good... Sometimes you'll just get someone you click with. Other times, you just have to make the best of what you get, and try to use it as an opportunity to learn (i.e., if you think the therapist is just not making sense, consider that you're the one being unreasonable, etc).
I tried a lot of different therapists in this city, and it was probably good for me, but I can also say that none of them "solved" my problems, so don't go into it thinking it'll be a magic bullet, because it very well may just be a lot of stressful, painful, seemingly useless sessions that very slowly allow something to creep up that maybe alters things - or maybe things got better for some other reason :).
If you want to ask me anything in particular, feel free to email me (just put "mefi" in the subject line). And best of luck!
posted by mdn at 5:42 PM on April 29, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
I used to be scared shitless of psychologists (and frankly thought they were kooks), and then I spent two days with my parents during an "intensive" they were going through, clearing their own demons -- I saw how much it helped them. Interestingly, I just started seeing one, as well, to deal with some loose ends in my life.
Good luck.
posted by symphonik at 12:03 AM on April 29, 2005