Head Strong
So you’ve heard about it, wondered about it and maybe even decided to give it a try. But how to actually get therapy that feels right is the rub. Unless you have some experts to walk you through. Fortunately, we do – and now you do, too
Lifestyle changes are necessary but not always sufficient. See someone
What Kind Of Therapy Is Right For You?
Try: A (helpful) bot.
Most genres of therapy rely on pattern recognition in yourself and others, so it makes sense that AI would inevitably come for mental health. Text-based chatbot apps, such as Wysa and Woebot, help you work things out with rudimentary behavioural therapy. Apps such as Earkick help by tracking your mood. What to expect: Often for free, a chatty human-ish texter can provide instant advice that, though useful, can sometimes sound a little like HAL 9000.
Try: Group therapy.
Don’t let the cliché of sad mopes in a circle scare you away. Groups guided by mental health pros offer the benefits of individual therapy without the price tag. What to expect: You might not talk as much as in a one-on-one, but it’s often about half the price, and many people find learning from others therapeutic. The Counselling Directory has a searchable database of group therapists.
Try: Peer support groups.
Ranging in formality and focus, these are mostly led by trained facilitators but tend to rely more on the communal support structure to give guidance and solace. Many, such as the ManKind Project and Andy’s Man Club, are dedicated to supporting men and those male identifying. Even a yoga group can be a peer support group of a sort. What to expect: There are as many types of peer support groups as there are peers, but many men’s groups emphasise accountability, vulnerability and camaraderie through regular IRL or online meetings. Often free.
Try: Lifestyle changes.
Per therapists themselves, including MH adviser Gregory Scott Brown, many symptoms of anxiety and depression can be helped with lifestyle changes – you know, in areas such as sleep, eating and spirituality (not necessarily religion). If you’re experiencing depression, debilitating anxiety or an acute mental health crisis, these changes are necessary but not always sufficient. See someone. What to expect: The challenge is less in making changes than in sticking with them without the support structure of a therapist or coach.
Talking Cures
12%
One in eight adults in the UK receives some form of mental health treatment, according to stats from the Mental Health Foundation
Try: Online therapy.
Services such as BetterHelp, Talkspace, Brightside Health and Thriveworks connect you to a network of live therapists. There are loads
