When facing a challenging life event such as cancer, it can be helpful to collaborate with a mental health professional to support you as you begin to process these emotions and to plan for life with cancer.

Iris Mental Health Therapists have specific expertise in supporting people living with cancer. As a benefit of your health insurance, Iris Mental Health services are available on a time-limited basis to offer support and help you build resilience and coping skills for managing the range of emotions accompanying illness.

In addition to Iris Mental Health services, you may benefit from individualized therapeutic support for experiences that may not be related to cancer. For longer-term needs or non-cancer specific concerns, it may be helpful to connect with a community-based mental health therapist.

In the United States, mental health therapy is provided by professionals with various educational backgrounds and credentials. There are licensed clinical social workers, psychologists and couples and family counselors, to name a few. When looking for mental health support, it is important to make sure that the provider is licensed to provide mental health support in your state and that they have experience treating people with similar concerns.

• Take some time to reflect on what is motivating you to seek therapy, what areas of your life are you hoping to enhance or change, and what you hope to gain from mental health therapy

• Review the therapist’s area of expertise, style, and training. Does the therapist have experience with those aspects of your life that you wish to focus on?

• Consider asking for a one-time consultation / interview with a therapist to see if it is a good fit. Ask yourself if you feel (or can imagine feeling) at ease with the therapist and if their style feels comfortable to you.

• Exercise patience as the process of finding someone and aligning schedules can take some time.

• If the option is available, consider whether you would prefer meeting in person or remotely. If meeting in person, consider the distance you are willing to travel for services.

• Consider how you plan to pay for services. If you plan to pay through insurance, contact your insurance provider and ask for a list of mental health providers covered by your insurance.

• Ask your primary care provider and/or oncology team if they have recommendations and referrals for mental health providers.

• Explore Psychology Today for a list of mental health providers near you. You can filter the search in various ways including specialty, insurance coverage, and gender.

Keep in mind that choosing a community mental therapist can take time. It is not unusual to meet with more than one therapist until you find one that feels like a good match. It can feel vulnerable sharing sensitive information as trust in the relationship takes time. For many people, community-based mental health therapy can also improve their understanding of themselves and lead to a more fulfilling life.