I’ve been writing this column since 1997. The following are sources of help that I often recommend to readers. If you would like to suggest others, please write to me at tellme@washpost.com.
(Always exercise due diligence in selecting caregivers.)
· Ask your primary care physician to refer you to someone.
· Call your health insurance carrier or visit them online to get a list of in-network providers.
· See if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program.
· Use Open Path Collective, a national nonprofit network of therapists who provide sessions at a reduced rate.
· Search the listings on Psychology Today.
· If you or family members have a school affiliation, ask if its counseling service is available to you or maintains a list of recommended mental health-care providers.
· Inquire at your church — many clergy have counseling credentials.
· Contact a local college or university that confers degrees in counseling fields; many have clinics to train their students.
· If you have a specific difficulty, such as grief, addiction, a major illness in the family, debt, etc., then there may be a topic-specific support group.
Abuse
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Mental illness
National Alliance on Mental Illness: The NAMI HelpLine, available Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org.
Substance abuse
Child abuse
Childhelp: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (422-4453)
LGBTQ support
For young people, the Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
For families, PFLAG
For all, It Gets Better Project
Debt
Parenting
Death of a child
Infertility
Eating disorders
Suicide support
This story was updated to remove a reference to an upcoming reading list.