A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services (PDF)

A unique consumer resource for understanding mental health treatment

With over 250 models of counseling and psychotherapy currently used to treat emotional problems and serious mental illness, figuring out where to look for the right services can be a daunting task. A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services offers pragmatic solutions for those considering or already beginning treatment. It helps you to make important decisions regarding whether seeing a psychiatrist, a social worker, a counselor, or a psychologist is best for your particular needs. It also explores health insurance and coverage of treatment as well as how long it may take for you to begin feeling like yourself again. This valuable text looks at the intricacies of the mental health care system and provides a helpful summary that is both accessible and useful.

If you've ever tried to find help for a major life transition, depression, or anxiety and have been overwhelmed by the options for mental health treatment, you are not alone. A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services is a unique text that breaks down the vast array of service options with a critical eye so consumers can get the vital information they need in a straightforward and accessible way. This comprehensive text even includes a “Questions to Ask” section that will help you find the right clinician to fit your exact needs.

Some of the topics A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services covers in detail are:

• causes of mental health problems
• the three main models of mental health
• how clinicians who use the different models view mental health
• types of providers available and the different services they offer
• talk therapies and medications
• ethical codes of all professions
• consumers' rights
• the insurance industry, its history and current role
• matching treatment to the problem
• alternatives to therapy
• and much more!

A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services is a valuable and practical resource for anyone considering or beginning mental health treatment or their family and friends. It is also a useful addition for educators or students working through introductory courses in all of the major mental health fields.