[pinkytoes]

If I went to a therapists office like for the public or a psychologist at school? If I needed a refferal for mediciation I wouldn't want to have to start over at a therapists office. I mean aren't psychologists at schools there for a reason? I have been debating for years to go back for help mostly cause I'm tired of explaining my life over and over and being put on medication but then it doesn't work and blah blah. I'm just afraid for when I get married or into the real world I don't want to ruin relationships etc. Thanks!

[lonegael]

Well, a psychologist generally can't prescribe to you anyway. The ones at school are under supervision, so they have to report to a more experienced psychologist who is trained to manage student psychologists; in fact, you have two psychologists, nt one. If something goes wrong, your therapist is answerable to his supervisor. Normally, there isn't anyone that your therapist is answerable to except to you. so a school psychologist isn't all bad when you think about it.

Of course, if you need a longer time with someone, it would be better to try for a public therapist, I think. The bad thing with students is that they come and go, no matter how good they are, and that can be rough. In the end, you might be able to find a therapist who can take you pro bono (as a hardship case) but I'm not sure how you would go about finding one who could. Good luck!

[FooZe]

I'm probably not in the best position to answer this since my own experiences with therapy were so long ago. I started out talking to a therapist at school during a rough patch but I wouldn't say we even got into any real therapy. Two years later I went back and the second therapist referred me to a neighborhood clinic for two years of what was then called "long-term therapy". I gather the school therapists' job was to settle me down and get me off their books as quickly as possible.

The clinic was OK, and didn't cost me very much. It was apparently where new psychiatry graduates from a local med school would practice doing supervised therapy. Everything like it has probably been replaced with counseling centers by now.

DocJohn writes:

There are many different ways you can get help for a mental health concern. Psychotherapy is an important option to consider. You can quickly and easily find a good therapist through our Find a Therapist service....

(the Find Help page -- see the brown bar across the top of every Psych Central page)

[sugahorse1]

Maybe speak to your general doctor and get him to refer you?