How did all of you come about seeing a T? Was it forced, voluntary. Was it a long process? Was it quick to get to?

I've been looking to see a T but in my area (I won't say where) it's in the rural part so I saw a family doctor who mediated me then referenced me to a division. The division did an intake over the phone. I'm now on a waiting list to see a counsellor. I have no direct access to a T through this healthcare system and area, though I would prefer one greatly over this counsellor.

I was just wondering how it works for everyone else.

[A Red Panda]

I wanted to try mood stabilizers. my GP said I had to go see a pdoc. But she wouldn't refer me herself, and said that I had to go through Mental Health. A coworker of mine (who previously worked there) said that was BS and that my GP could have referred me directly. Mental Health confirmed that with her, and they set up my appointment with the pdoc.

At the appointment with the pdoc, there was also someone from Mental Health IN the appointment with me... which freaked me out. But since he'd already heard everything and he and the pdoc both basically assumed that I have to go and see the guy who wasn't the pdoc... I've gone to see him.

So it wasn't really by choice, but it wasn't exactly forced? They seem to have corralled me into it.

[ks33182]

I went to my doctor about my symptoms (didn't think it was anxiety or depression though), and she asked me if I was depressed. At first I said no, but then thought about it later on and just knew that things have not been right for me lately. Anyway, I went back then broke down and started crying about things (mainly my job), she recommended I see a counselor and prescribed antidepressants and anti anxiety meds.

I live in a suburban area so there were many choices for me. I did research online to find my therapist. She was one of the few around here that had positive reviews and based on her pic I just felt like she was a good fit for me, it was like I went with my instincts with her...and I'm glad she is my therapist now, she has helped me so much.

I hope you can find someone who's accessible to you. Best of luck.

[BlessedRhiannon]

I'm in the US, and I know how you can access mental health care varies in different countries.

This time around...with this therapist...I decided I needed help with my anxiety. I did a search on Psychology Today for therapists near me. I knew what I wanted in a T due to previous experiences which were not helpful. I sent the t that I'd picked out an email through the contact option on Psychology Today. She emailed me back, we scheduled a phone call to talk about what I was looking for in a T and what her practice is like. At the end of the call, I scheduled an appointment for the next week. The rest is history. So, from the time I contact the T to the time I had an appointment to see her...maybe 10 days. It did take me over 3 months of looking at T profiles and starting and stopping emails before I was actually able to make that first contact.

[mixedup_emotions]

I started taking AD's through my GP.....but then when my marriage was in trouble, a co-worker referred me to T's office. My (now-ex) husband and I went to see T for marriage counseling for a short time. Then, when things went downhill - fast - and started getting scary - I started seeing our marriage counselor as my individual T. He then introduced me to group therapy. My marriage ended shortly after, but I've been in therapy ever since (4+ years).

[Favorite Jeans]

I've kind of known for years that I needed therapy but was apprehensive because I've had some bad and some very, I dunno, blah therapists in the past. Eventually I called an agency that had a great website and looked very inclusive and queer positive and did a very long phone intake and was matched to a therapist. She was very warm and nice and welcoming but after seeing her about 6 or 8 times I realized that I just felt bored and had nothing to say to her and that I often felt annoyed when she talked. So I stopped and felt discouraged.
Then my partner (again) suggested that I see a therapist from her therapist's practice. I initially thought this would be weird and didn't want to do that. But she gave me a few business cards and said she had a good feeling about one of them. She said "she seems calm, you'll like her..." So I called that one first and verily she was calm and I did like her. And I have gotten to like her more and more with time. I have felt many, many things in talking to her but bored has never been one of them.

[neutrino]

It's been a really long process for me. I knew I needed to seek help for about 10 years before I actually gathered enough courage to do so. It was voluntary. I was really unlucky though because my referrals got lost twice, people sent me back and forth between different places and I had to wait for half a year after I first sought help until I finally got some help (and I had to wait even longer to get to see a therapist). It's been tough.

Good luck with everything! I hope everything works out for you.

My first therapist I saw semi-voluntarily?
My parents pretty much forced me to go see him, but I spoke to him honestly on my own. My mom already knew of him because he had helped her years ago with some trauma stuff, and at the time (I was 14) I guess I was showing signs of depression or something, so my mom thought it'd be helpful if I saw him. I think it took a while to get an appointment with him, but once we were able to get an intake appointment then everything was easy street. He was more of a talk therapist, so I only had to do an intake with him for the first session and after wards I saw him every week for about two months and he basically said I did not need therapy because I "seemed normal".

After I left therapy and came back a year afterwards, I was in hospital and upon my discharge they recommended that I see a DBT therapist for outpatient treatment, and that's how I met the therapist I have now.

[Victoria'smom]

I've been forced to see therapists through out my life (public school forced me not parents) until adult hood, I didn't even get out of it once I dropped out of PS.

How did all of you come about seeing a T? This time was different, my husband was getting mental health treatment. I had gone with him to his intake and several appointments (both therapy and pdoc). If I crashed I would be hospitalized as my husband had faith in the center. I already had my Dx and was suppose to be on meds. So I figured I should do the intake while healthy (or so I thought) so when to walk in intake.

Was it a long process? Intake is walk in bases open until 9 am My husband's & son's intake was an hour and a half where after we were given a sheet of paper for the front desk to make appointments. The desks earliest appointment was /is about 3 wks. to see a new T and about 6 weeks to see a new pdoc.

Then there was my intake took 4.5 hours for me (and my therapist still had to complete some things). He then went up to the receptionist with me and asked them to make me appointments and specified I was in the mental health not addiction. I swear that's code for "she's batsh!t crazy". I saw my pdoc within the week and met my T within 2 wks. The kicker... One of T's first sentience upon meeting me was "So why does your file say psychosis?". Opps. It took a bad med combo for me to accidentally trust her.

I'm looking at moving: one area shortest time had a 2+ month waiting list for intake and they said to plan on 6 mth wait time after to meet your Pdoc but therapists in that area only had a 4 mth wait time. Hence we're not moving there.

[unlockingsanity]

I found a local place that had several therapists and asked if anyone had night appointments and who was a male. There was one, so that is who I saw. I only had to wait about a week, but I self pay.

[tinyrabbit]

I had a breakdown last year. I was aware that a few friends had been to therapy, and it just sort of got into my head that maybe I should try, without exactly knowing why.

I've had bad experiences with the NHS in the past, I didn't want it in my medical records and I wanted to be in control, so I decided to see someone private - which meant it wasn't a long process. I emailed my T, who runs an assessment and referral service where you say what's brought you to therapy and they suggest some suitable Ts for you.

He offered me an appointment about five days later I think. We talked a bit about what brought me there (I wasn't exactly sure, loads of random stuff came out), what I wanted from a T, how much I could pay, gender, geography, etc. He emailed me later that week with a few suggestions, including going back to him, which I decided to do.

If I couldn't have paid, I wouldn't have got something so quickly, which isn't right. I don't normally use private services on principle, but I gave in on this occasion. In the UK it's unfortunately very hard to get good long-term therapy otherwise, and depends a lot on where you live. There aren't any low-cost services in my area.

[murray]

My first time in therapy, in my early 20's, I went to my GP and broke down crying when she asked if I was feeling ok...so mortified. She sent me to a T she recommended. I worked with that T for a little over a year and stopped when I seemed to be able to function better. I don't recall how long it took to see her but I suspect it was only a couple weeks.

Then about 4 1/2 years ago when I was struggling again, I tried to see her again. She had no openings and suggested my current T. He actually called me first to talk and I panicked. Luckily I made the appointment, which was only about a week wait. He has been such a wonderful T for me and it is a blessing that my 1st T couldn't see me again and referred him.