Low Cost Therapy Options Help Caregivers Cope

Do you or a member of your family work for a large company that offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? If so, ask a member of the Human Resources Department if the EAP has a list of caregiver support services. If they don't have such a list, ask for their help in creating a collection of resources for yourself and other employees. Be sure to recommend CareLinx and the CareLinx blog as a resource!Low Cost Therapy Options Help Caregivers Cope. Therapy helps you manage caregiving stress Going to therapy is like a shortcut to figuring out how to deal with caregiving and the natural stress that goes along with it. Instead of struggling on your own, why not talk with an expert who can give you advice and strategies to cope? A lot of people roll their eyes when they hear about therapy. But don’t dismiss it so quickly. Therapists are experts who are trained to help people with negative thinking, stress, depression, anxiety, major life changes, and more. How does therapy help? Therapy is helpful for people who would benefit from talking with someone who won't judge them or tell them what they should do. A therapist can also be a sounding board when you’re struggling with tough decisions. You can talk with them about things you wouldn’t discuss with your spouse, family, or friends. That’s perfect for caregivers who find that family and friends just don’t understand. Therapists covered by insurance Many large health companies, like Kaiser Permanente, offer therapy that’s covered by their insurance plans. Talk with your doctor to get a referral or call your health plan provider to see if therapy is a covered service. Free workplace EAP programs Many large companies have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) where counselors help you deal with life changes and other stressful situations. If you haven’t seen or heard about these programs at your office, check with your Human Resources person. Usually the company isn’t told who uses these services, so you shouldn’t be afraid to use the help. Low cost or sliding scale therapists Many therapists offer low cost or sliding scale fees. Sliding scale means that they charge people differently based on their financial situation. Fees range from completely free to around $100. Here are a few options:.

• U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services health centers
• Academy of Cognitive Therapy
• Network of Care - click the “Mental Health / Behavioral Health” section on the left

Find a therapist in your area If the options above don’t work for you, there are plenty of private pay therapists around. Visit the Psychology Today website and enter your zip code. You’ll get a list of therapists in your area. There’s a lot of detail on each therapist, including:

• Fees
• Degrees and credentials
• Areas of practice / specialties
• Years of experience
• State license number

Next Step >Find a therapist in your area By Connie Chow, Contributing Writer and Founder of DailyCaringImage: CBS News