Mental Health Resources + Support

    • AANE: Asperger/Autism Network: education & support for individuals, parents, and professionals, aane.org 

    • ADDitude: support & resources for ADD/ADHD, additudemag.com 

    • Brene Brown: books, podcasts, videos on vulnerability, authenticity, imperfection, empathy & more  https://brenebrown.com/ 

    • Crisis Text Line: text “HOME” to 741741

    • Gottman Institute: education & resources for individuals, couples, and parents, gottman.com 

    • NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Health: support, helpline, & advocacy, 800-950-6264 (call or tex)t https://www.nami.org/ 

    • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988, 988lifeline.org 

    • Nedra Tawwab: setting boundaries - resources including quizzes and free worksheets, nedratawwab.com

    • Dr. Romani: narcissism & relationships https://doctor-ramani.com/

    • Sidran Institute Traumatic Stress Education & Advocacy: resources for survivors, loved ones, and professionals,  sidran.org  

    • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: treatment referral 24/7 helpline, 800-662-HELP (4357), samhsa.org 

    • Tiny Buddha: blog and inspiration, tinybuddha.com 

    • Dr. Tracey Marks: informational videos on mental health disorders, medication, and more https://markspsychiatry.com/ 

    • Trans Lifeline: peer support & resources, 877-565-8860, translifeline.org

    • Trauma Research Foundation: education & resources, traumaresearchfoundation.org 

    • The Trevor Project: crisis prevention for queer youth, 866-488-7386, text: 678-678, thetrevorproject.org 

    • The Whole Brain Child + No Drama Discipline: great resources for parents! drdansiegel.com 

    • To Write Love On Her Arms: support and education for mental health, twloha.com

    Additional Resources

    • Some of my favorite online resources and/or book authors: John & Julie Gottman, Dr. Dan Siegel, Bessel van Der Kolk, Nedra Tawwab, Dr. Tracey Marks, Brene Brown

    • Know your insurance plan (ex. Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)

    • Check your insurance company’s website for keywords like “doc finder” or “find a provider”

    • Categories/keywords you may see on your insurance’s website:

      • Mental/Behavioral Health

      • Psychiatrist - prescribes meds

      • Psychologist - can provide psychological testing, psychotherapy

      • Social workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, Professional Counselors (all licensed masters level+ clinicians) - psychotherapy

    • Check websites like psychologytoday.com, therapist.com, goodtherapy.org, cvmhp.org (local) 

      • You can search for a therapist with qualifiers like location, gender, specialties, insurance accepted

    • https://www.verywellmind.com/best-online-therapy-4691206 

    • If you feel comfortable with a current provider - like your primary care doctor or an OB/GYN, ask them for suggestions/referrals 

    • If there is an online community you feel safe in, or can post anonymously you can try getting suggestions there

    Advice from a Therapist

    • If you are able/willing to do virtual sessions, you are not limited to your surrounding area - you should be able to see anyone in your state, or that is licensed in your state

      • The therapist you will be seeing virtually typically must be licensed in the state that you are in

    • Take the appointment! Or get on the waiting list if there is one. If it seems like someone you’d like to work with, even if it seems far out, schedule something. You may not be able to find someone with something sooner. (Though keep looking if you want, you can always cancel the farther out appointment.)

    • Keep checking! - our caseloads can change due to a variety of reasons - for example: I may be full now, but in a few weeks wind up with an opening because someone has decided to drop from every week to bi-weekly

    Some Things to Consider…

    • Do you need them to participate with your insurance plan?

    • Do you have a gender preference?

    • Do you have a preference of virtual or in-person sessions? Does the therapist meet that preference?

    • How far are you willing to travel for in-person sessions?

    • When are you available to schedule sessions?

    • How soon is the therapist booking appointments, and how often will you be able to be seen?

    • Do you need to ask if they specialize in a particular area of care (examples: trauma, addiction, ADHD, LGTBQ+ affirming care)

    • If you are looking for your child, ask if they have experience with or specialize in seeing your child’s age group (toddlers, children, tweens, teens)

    • If you are looking for couples therapy, ask if the therapist has experience in or specializes in couples work

    • Ask the provider any questions you may want to! 

      • What’s your style? How many years experience do you have? What’s your experience like working with (fill in the blank)?

      • Some therapists will do a quick 5-10 minute phone call prior to scheduling to answer any questions (get a feel for what their personality is like)

    • If after the first session (or few sessions), it doesn’t feel like a connection it is alright to keep looking!

    • Copay/copayment: A flat fee you pay when seeing a provider for a service, or at the pharmacy for a prescription

      • For example - your copay for your primary care provider or outpatient mental health service may be $25 and your copay for a specialist may be $50 - you will pay this amount every time you visit the provider (until you may meet your out-of-pocket max)

    • Deductible: the amount of money you must pay first before the insurance company will cover any costs

      • For example - if your deductible is $2000 for in-network services, you must pay $2000 out of pocket before your insurance company will cover any expenses

    • Co-insurance: the percentage you must pay after your deductible has been met

      • For example - if your deductible is $2000 and your co-insurance is 20%, you must pay $2000 out of pocket before your insurance company starts to pay 80% of the service/prescription (and you pay 20% to the provider/pharmacy)

    • Allowable amount: the amount of money you will pay a provider or the pharmacy for a covered service or prescription - an amount of money set by the insurance company that the provider or pharmacy has agreed to (a contracted rate) - while you are working toward meeting your deductible

      • For example - a provider may charge $100 as their standard fee, but if they accept your insurance the contracted rate may be $95 - the provider must collect this “allowable amount”. So $95 would be what you pay the provider every time until your deductible is met

    • Out of Pocket Max: the amount of money you will spend before your insurance company covers 100% of any expenses for providers, services, or prescriptions 

      • For example - if your out of pocket max is $5000 - you would need to pay $5000 out of pocket before the insurance company starts to pay all expenses and you pay nothing - the $5000 can be spent in copays, co-insurance payments, and/or prescriptions

    • In Network v. Out of Network: providers that have contracts with your insurance company/plan versus those who do not

    • HSA: Health Savings Account - you’ll have a card that can be charged like a credit or debit card for health care expenses, you and your employer may contribute pre-taxed money into the account, and you have ownership of the account

    • FSA: Flexible Spend Account - you’ll have a card that can be charged like a credit card or debit card for health care expenses, owned by your employer but in your name, and both you & employer can contribute… any money that is left in the account at the end of the plan year will be lost, so make sure you keep track and use it up!

    • HRA: Health Reimbursement Account - you won’t have a card that can be charged, funds are released after services are billed, account is in your name but is solely contributed to by your employer, and your providers may be paid directly from the HRA, or you may pay your providers out of pocket and then be reimbursed by the HRA

    • If you have any other questions about your benefits, you can call (or sometimes online chat/text) with your insurance company, or you can ask your HR department if the coverage is through an employer. 

    ** If you need health insurance coverage - contact Vermont Health Connect to see if you are eligible: 855-899-9600, info.healthconnect.vermont.gov ***

    • Atria Collective: Gender-Based Violence Services for Addison County https://www.atriavt.org/ 800-388-4205

    • DocuSAFE from National Networks to End Domestic Violence: a free phone app to help “collect, store, and share evidence of abuse”, https://www.techsafety.org/docusafe

    • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

    • Pandora’s Project: support for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, pandys.org

    • RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673) https://rainn.org/ 

    • Steps to End Domestic Violence: Chittenden County https://www.stepsvt.org/home 802-658-1996

    • Vermont Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-228-7395

    • Vermont Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-984-7888

    • Vermont Sexual Violence Hotline: 800-489-7273

    • Mindful Pause: The Benefits of Mindfulness & How to Practice

      • Mindfulness is “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally… it is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

      • Practicing mindfulness can improve focus & memory, slow aging + reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD and ADHD/ADD

      • Practicing mindfulness will help you to be able to respond versus react - to slow down and act with intention.

      • Practicing mindfulness can literally change your brain! Positive changes can occur in the gray matter, the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampus.

      • Pause and notice what is going on internally and externally. Don’t act, just notice. Don’t try to solve any problems. Just Be. 

      • Identify what you are feeling in your body. Scan your body head to toe slowly and notice. Do you feel - tension? discomfort? ease? Where is the sensation? In your shoulders? stomach? all over?

      • What emotion(s) are you feeling? Happy? Sad? Angry? Scared? (feelingswheel.com)… Dr. Dan Siegel says that if you can name it you can tame it!

      • Notice your surroundings using your 5 senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? What do you taste?

    Mindfulness Resources Online

    • Apps: Headspace, CALM, Simple Habit, Healthy Minds Program, Insight Timer

    • YouTube channels: Eckhart Tolle, Tara Brach, Dr. Elisha Goldstein, Yoga with Adrienne, Dianne Bondy  

      • For kids - Cosmic Kids Yoga, The Mindfulness Teacher

    • Podcasts: 10% Happier, On Being, Tara Brach podcast, Meditation Minis, The Daily Meditation Podcast

      • For kids: Rise Little Earthling, Like You: Mindfulness for Kids, Be Calm on Ahway Island

    • Websites: Plum Village, Black Girls Breathing, Black Women’s Yoga Collective