Affordable ways to care for your emotional and mental health

There are many ways to take care of your emotional health and reduce health care expenses. As a psychotherapist, I frequently talk about these ideas with new and prospective clients.

Several suggestions involve little or no cost – just motivation, commitment and determination to create a better life for yourself.

Foremost is education -- learning about good emotional health and how to maintain your health and well being.

Many local organizations offer free screenings for anxiety and depression so you can determine your health challenges. The local print and online media frequently list a variety of health-related programs, many free or low cost, that are available in the community. Some practitioners offer free services for certain populations, such as veterans, new parents, abused women or the at-risk homeless.

Our local public library offers a treasure trove of information about health, healing and wellness including books, DVDs, videos and CDs. You may borrow from an abundant collection of books about physical and mental health concerns and varieties of treatments and care as well as exercise and meditation videos. The cost is free -- you only need the time to get a library card.

If you want to enhance your emotional health further, you have many other options.

• Check your health insurance plan to learn if your plan offers Employee Assistance Program sessions. These EAP sessions may involve three to six or more free meetings with a licensed psychotherapist to address personal, occupatiional or relationship problems. It is a good way to begin to address concerns and if you like the therapist you can continue with the use of your health insurance.
• If your health insurance plan has a high deductible, speak with a therapist honestly about what you are able to afford. Many therapists are able to provide options for sessions supplemented by other activities in the community that will keep the momentum of growth.
• If you do not have health insurance, ask a psychotherapist if he or she will accept a reduced fee. Many will consider offering a reduced fee if the person can arrange appointments during daytime hours, rather than evening hours which are more coveted.
• Attend group therapy, which is more affordable than a private session. For certain concerns, the groups sessions are often more helpful, especially under the direction of a therapist who is specifically trained in group counseling, and you will find yourself with an important support network with other companions who are focused on growth and well being.
• Supplement psychotherapy sessions with attendance with a good self-help group or a 12-step recovery group. There are a myriad of self-help groups – topics include grief, separation and divorce and caretakers for physical or mental illness within a family, domestic violence and the like. The 12-step recovery groups  such as Overeaters Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, etc., give important help and direction to people and families involved with addiction. Participate actively in the program or the group for the most benefit.
• Keep a journal; it's been shown that people who keep journals or diaries -- or whatever you wish to call them -- have lower rates of depression. Regularly writing about feelings and responses to life situations help you build awareness of behaviors and release feelings safely.
• Supplement psychotherapy with acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, qigong and/or other methods. These are important activities for healing mind, body and spirit and can often make the therapeutic process move more quickly. They can also be used on their own to greatly improve the quality of life.
• Different psychotherapy styles can move a person more quickly through issues as well so a person is not attending counseling for years. The creative arts therapies, play therapy, sand tray therapy and psychodrama, as well as Family Constellation Work, which is very new in the United States, often work more quickly than conventional talk therapy.

In addition, here are more suggestions:

• Acupuncture schools and massage schools often offer free or reduced fee appointments with student practitioners. Other students who are learning non-traditional modalities, such as Reiki, Polarity, Zero Balancing and other energy treatments, often must document practice sessions and seek people who are willing to experience and evaluate the session at no charge. Investigate these options if you cannot afford the full fee, or any fee. These treatments are very helpful adjuncts in addressing emotional health concerns.
• Eat the best quality food you can afford and avoid fast food and highly processed foods. Our choices of food often impact our moods and emotional health.
• Take time to research nutrition, and especially the impact of food sensitivities, and develop new eating habits. Many food sensitivities to contribute to chronic depression, headaches, stomach pain, food cravings, etc. If the offending foods are eliminated, a person's emotional and physical health often improves dramatically. Sugar, white flour, artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate and other substances are often linked to food sensitivities.
• If you are depressed, stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a well-known depressant to the central nervous system and many people can find relief from their depression simply by abstaining from alcohol.
• Go to psychotherapy only if you are committed to the process of growth and change. Have a talk with yourself -- if you are simply looking for someone to confirm to you that you don't have problems, then you might be wasting your time right now. Determine that you are ready to make changes in your life.