The
Multiverse
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Part VI: Appendices

Therapy & Mental Health Resources

You Deserve Support

Therapy isn't weakness. Medication isn't failure. Getting help is strength.

This guide helps you find mental health support that works for you.

Finding a Therapist

Start Here: FindHelp.org

FindHelp.org

  • Enter your zip code to find local mental health services, therapists, support groups, and crisis resources
  • Free, comprehensive directory
  • This is the fastest way to find what you need in your area

Free/Low-Cost Therapy Options

Open Path Collective

Community Health Centers

Training Clinics

  • Graduate students supervised by licensed therapists
  • Often free or very low cost
  • Search: "[your city] university psychology clinic"

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

  • Many jobs offer 3-10 free therapy sessions
  • Ask your HR department

Medicaid

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

  • Free support groups, education
  • Some locations offer therapy connections
  • nami.org

Online/Telehealth Therapy

Open Path (mentioned above)

  • Many offer teletherapy

Psychology Today - Telehealth Filter

BetterHelp / Talkspace

  • Subscription-based online therapy
  • Around $60-90/week
  • Convenient but not always deepest work

State-Specific Telehealth:

  • Check your state's psychology/counseling boards
  • Many therapists now offer virtual

Finding the Right Therapist

Use Psychology Today Directory:

Filter by:

  • Issues (trauma, ADHD, depression, etc.)
  • Identity (LGBTQ+, BIPOC, neurodivergent-affirming)
  • Modalities (CBT, EMDR, somatic, psychodynamic)
  • Insurance accepted
  • Sliding scale availability

Questions to Ask in First Session:

  1. "What's your experience with [your issue]?"

    • Trauma, ADHD, autism, anxiety, etc.

  2. "What's your approach/modality?"

    • CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, somatic, EMDR, etc.
    • Ask them to explain it in plain language

  3. "Are you neurodivergent-affirming?" (if relevant)

    • Do they pathologize or support your way of being?

  4. "How do you handle [specific thing you need]?"

    • "I need you to be direct" or "I need gentle approaches" etc.

  5. "What are your boundaries around contact?"

    • Between-session messaging? Crisis protocols?

Green flags:

  • They answer questions directly
  • You feel heard
  • They explain their approach
  • They acknowledge limits

Red flags:

  • Defensive when questioned
  • Pathologizes you
  • Tells you what to do without exploring with you
  • Boundary violations
  • Makes you feel worse consistently

It's okay to "fire" a therapist. You're allowed to say "this isn't working" and find someone else.

Therapy Modalities Explained

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

What it is: Focuses on changing thought patterns to change feelings/behaviors

Good for: Anxiety, depression, specific phobias, concrete goals

Might not work if: You need deeper processing, trauma work, or find it too rigid

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

What it is: Skills-based (distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness)

Good for: Emotional dysregulation, self-harm, borderline patterns, intense emotions

Might not work if: You need less structure or deeper exploration

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

What it is: Processes trauma through bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping)

Good for: PTSD, trauma, specific traumatic memories

Might not work if: You're not ready to process trauma, need talk therapy

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic

What it is: Explores unconscious patterns, childhood roots, deep processing

Good for: Understanding yourself deeply, complex relational patterns, long-term work

Might not work if: You need immediate crisis support or concrete skills

Somatic Therapy

What it is: Body-based, processes trauma held in the body

Good for: Trauma, PTSD, people who are disconnected from their bodies

Might not work if: You're not comfortable with body awareness

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

What it is: Works with different "parts" of yourself (inner child, protector parts, etc.)

Good for: Trauma, complex internal experiences, self-compassion work

Might not work if: The framework doesn't resonate

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

What it is: Accept what you can't control, commit to values-driven action

Good for: Chronic pain, anxiety, values clarification

Might not work if: You need more directive approach

Ask your therapist to explain their approach in plain language.

Specific Therapy Needs

Trauma Therapy

Look for therapists trained in:

  • EMDR
  • Somatic Experiencing
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
  • Trauma-Focused CBT

Resources:

ADHD

Look for:

  • Experience with adult ADHD
  • Coaching + therapy combo
  • Not just medication management

Resources:

  • CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD): chadd.org
  • ADDitude Magazine therapist directory

Autism

Look for:

  • Neurodivergent-affirming
  • Understanding of masking, burnout
  • NOT ABA or compliance-focused

Resources:

LGBTQ+ Affirming

Look for:

  • Listed as LGBTQ+-affirming
  • Experience with gender/sexuality
  • Understands intersectionality

Resources:

  • Psychology Today LGBTQ+ filter
  • National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN): nqttcn.com
  • Trans Lifeline therapist database

BIPOC/Culturally Specific

Resources:

Cult Recovery / Religious Trauma

Look for therapists who specialize in:

  • Cult recovery
  • Religious trauma
  • High-control groups
  • Spiritual abuse

Resources:

Medication

Finding a Psychiatrist

Options:

  • Primary care doctor - Can prescribe common meds (antidepressants, anxiety meds)
  • Psychiatrist - Specialized in psych meds
  • Psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP) - Can prescribe, often more available

Find:

  • Psychology Today (filter for psychiatrists)
  • Zocdoc - Book appointments online
  • Community health centers - Sliding scale

Telehealth psychiatry:

  • Done, Cerebral, Brightside (subscription services)
  • Many individual psychiatrists now offer video

Medication Q&A

"Will I be on medication forever?" Maybe, maybe not. Some people take meds short-term, some long-term. Both are okay.

"Will it change who I am?" Good meds shouldn't change your personality—they should help you be more yourself (less anxiety/depression/etc. in the way).

If meds make you feel not-yourself, tell your doctor. That's not the right med or dose.

"What about side effects?" Every med has potential side effects. Most are mild. If they're not, tell your doctor—there are other options.

"Can I stop anytime?" NEVER stop psych meds abruptly. Taper with your doctor's guidance.

"What if I don't want medication?" That's your choice. You can do therapy without meds (for many things). Your decision.

"What if my doctor pressures me?" You have the right to decline. If they're not listening, find another doctor.

Crisis Support

If You're in Crisis Right Now

Call or text 988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)

Text HOME to 741741 - Crisis Text Line

If immediate danger: Call 911 or go to ER

Full crisis resources: Crisis Resources

Crisis-Specific Lines

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 (peer support by/for trans people)

Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth under 25): 1-866-488-7386

Veterans Crisis Line: 988 then press 1

RAINN (Sexual Assault): 1-800-656-4673

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

SAMHSA (Substance/Mental Health): 1-800-662-4357

Peer Support

Online Communities

r/mentalhealth (Reddit)

r/CPTSD - Complex trauma

r/ADHD - ADHD support

r/autism - Autistic community (by and for autistic people)

7 Cups - Free online peer support chat

In-Person Support Groups

NAMI Support Groups

DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)

SMART Recovery

ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics)

Local support groups:

  • Search "[your issue] support group [your city]"
  • Hospitals often host them

Self-Help Resources

Apps

Headspace, Calm - Meditation, mindfulness

Finch - Self-care game/tracker

Daylio - Mood tracking

I Am Sober - Sobriety tracking and community

Books

"The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk

  • Trauma and healing

"Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb

  • What therapy is actually like (memoir by a therapist)

"Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

  • Stress, burnout, and recovery

"Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach

  • Self-compassion, mindfulness

"Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" by Pete Walker

  • CPTSD, trauma recovery

"Attached" by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller

  • Attachment styles in relationships

Workbooks

"The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook"

  • DBT skills you can practice

"The PTSD Workbook" by Mary Beth Williams

"Mind Over Mood" by Dennis Greenberger

  • CBT workbook

When Therapy Isn't Working

Signs It's Not Working:

  • You consistently feel worse after sessions
  • Therapist violates boundaries
  • Therapist doesn't listen or dismisses you
  • You've given it 2-3 months and no progress
  • Therapist is judgmental or pathologizing
  • You don't feel safe

What to Do:

  1. Talk to your therapist first

    • "I'm not feeling like this is working for me. Can we talk about it?"
    • Good therapists will be open to this

  2. If that doesn't help, end it

    • "I've decided to end therapy. Thank you for your time."
    • You don't owe elaborate explanations

  3. Try someone new

    • Different therapist, different modality, different approach

Therapy is a relationship. Not every relationship works. That's okay.

Insurance vs. Out-of-Pocket

Using Insurance

Pros:

  • Much cheaper
  • More accessible

Cons:

  • Limited provider choice
  • Insurance knows your diagnosis
  • May limit number of sessions

Check:

  • Does your insurance cover mental health?
  • What's your copay?
  • Do you need referrals?
  • Is your therapist in-network?

Out-of-Pocket / Sliding Scale

Pros:

  • More provider choice
  • Privacy (insurance doesn't know)
  • No session limits

Cons:

  • Expensive ($100-250+ per session)

Options:

  • Sliding scale therapists
  • Training clinics
  • Open Path Collective ($30-80)

Superbills

Some out-of-network therapists provide "superbills" you can submit to insurance for partial reimbursement.

Ask: "Do you provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement?"

Alternatives to Traditional Therapy

Coaching

What it is: Forward-focused, goal-oriented

Not therapy, but can help with:

  • ADHD management
  • Life transitions
  • Goal-setting
  • Accountability

Find: Life coaches, ADHD coaches, career coaches

Note: Coaches are not licensed therapists. Good for skills, not trauma.

Spiritual Direction

What it is: Exploring life meaning, purpose, spirituality

Good for: Existential questions, faith transitions, meaning-making

Find: Through religious organizations or spiritual directors international

Peer Support Specialists

What it is: People with lived mental health experience trained to support others

Often work within:

  • Mental health organizations
  • Community centers
  • Peer-run programs

Multiverse Resources

What Multiverse Offers

  • Community support (not therapy)
  • Crisis resources
  • Compassionate referrals
  • Neurodivergent-affirming space

What Multiverse Doesn't Offer

  • Therapy or crisis intervention
  • Diagnosis or treatment
  • 24/7 support
  • Professional mental health care

Get professional support, then engage in Multiverse community. Both matter.

Remember

You deserve support. Getting help isn't weakness.

Therapy isn't forever (though it can be if you want). It's a tool. Use it when you need it.

It's okay to try multiple therapists. Fit matters.

Medication can help. It doesn't make you weak.

You're allowed to heal at your own pace.

See Also:

The handbook is written in the open. See this page on GitHub.

Ask the handbook

Ask about refunds, rescheduling, the code of conduct, campus, or anything else in the handbook. Answers come only from the handbook text.