
The Student Counseling Center offers free short term therapy to all current Mercy College students. While the short term model is common among American colleges and allows students to learn coping skills and to address short term goals, it is limited in the number of sessions. Sometimes, long term therapy or more specialized treatment with an outside provider can be more beneficial.
Please read through the information below to learn how to find a therapist or psychiatrist in your community. If you have any questions, the Student Counseling Center can help you to find a referral to a nearby mental health provider who takes your insurance.
There are some important things to consider in the process of finding a therapist.
1. Do you have health insurance? If so, what company?
2. Are you willing to pay out of pocket or do you want to only search for providers who accept your insurance?
3. What are you looking for in a therapist? (Gender, religious orientation, racial background, age, etc)
4. What type of treatment are you looking for? (Short term, Long term therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, medications, etc)
5. Are you able to commit to regular appointments? If so, how often?
Once you have answered these questions, there are a several ways to begin your search.
1. Search for a provider through your insurance company
2. Search through Psychology Today
3. Search through Local Referrals
It may be beneficial to seek out an outside provider if:
Once you find a provider, you should email or call them to verify if they take your insurance and to check their availability. When you speak with them, it is important to mention:
1. Your name, phone number, and email
2. The best time to contact you (When do you have time in between classes or a day off?)
3. What days and times you are available for an appointment- most therapy sessions are 45 minutes
4. How you found their information (Did a counselor refer you? Did you find them through your insurance?)
5. A brief summary as to why you are seeking therapy (Anxiety? Depression? Changes in relationships? Grief? Eating habits?)
6. If applicable, your health insurance provider and ID number
You also may want to ask them some questions to understand them and their practice. Below are example questions that may apply.
1. What do you specialize in?
2. Are you able to help me with addressing the issue that I am seeking therapy for?
3. Do you take my insurance? If not, how much is each session?
4. What would I do if I had to reschedule?
5. Have you previously worked with young adults/ people with addiction/ men with Depression, etc ?