A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning

  • Guide to getting help
    • What to expect: For local offices, when you call expect to be put straight to voicemail. Here you can leave a message saying you are a new client looking for counseling make sure to leave your name and phone number. Expect a call back within a month. Some offices also have email, again expect a call back within a month
  • How to choose a therapist
    • Read bios! People who will cater to you and will talk about issues you’re facing 
      • ex “I cater to the worried well” 
      • “I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community and love working with them” 
      • “I specialize in trauma-informed practice” 
    • Do a trial run
      • Many therapists have free or discounted-rate 15-30 minute consultations to “try them out” 
      • By doing this, you can see if you will click 
    • Know your licenses (MI only) 
      • License titles differ by state, but they can all do relatively the same things
      • On psychology today you can over over the license title and it will tell you what it means
      • LLPC — a limited licensed professional counselor. Usually people in a master’s program working toward a full license. They are completing their internship required to graduate. They usually will charge less.
      • LPC —a licensed professional counselor. they have to pass the national counselor exam and have graduated from an accredited master’s program in counseling 
      • LMFT — licensed marriage and family therapist. They graduate from a COAMFTE accredited program, pass an exam, and do an internship. 
      • LMSW — licensed master of social work. graduate from an accredited masters program in social work. 
      • LP — licensed psychologist. have completed a doctorate program and obtained license to practice 
      • LLP — limited license psychologist. like an LLPC but for doctorate, rather than master’s, students
  • Your first in-person or telehealth therapy appointment 
    • Ask you generally what your goals for therapy are 
    • What you’re struggling with
    • Make short and long term goals
    • Get to know you! who are you and why are you here
  • Reasons a therapist may not be the right fit
    • doesn’t respect boundaries 
    • talks too much about themselves
    • personalities clash
    • you’re not making progress
    • don’t have experience with your problems
  • Psychology today! https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/michigan?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuLShBhC_ARIsAFod4fJC72p7-zEU8LHotjUrl0zWITIyCyB3oLeXg-MKCsGdimm4TPeQ6eoaAlLyEALw_wcB 
    • Sort by insurance
    • Sort by type of issue (anxiety, depression, LGBTQ issues)
    • Bios often include if they are taking clients, waitlists, pricing, and how to contact them
    • Sort by types of therapy 
    • Sort by kind of therapist (preferred gender, religion, sexuality)
       
  • ProjectHealthyMinds
    • Takes a multi-pronged approach on …
      • The mental health crisis and closing the treatment gap by focusing on the barriers that prevent people from getting support
    • The mission
      • Tackling one of the defining issues of our generation - the growing mental health crisis
    • Statistics of Mental Health in Today’s Society
      • It’s a global epidemic: More than 615 million people globally suffer from a mental health condition – twice the entire population of the United States
      • It’s getting worse: Depression skyrocketed three-fold during the pandemic. Recent studies found 1 in 4 young adults considred suicide in the last month
      • It’s everyone’s business: In addition to the massive personal toll, depression and anxiety account for $1 trillion in lost productivity globally every year
         
  • Heyyou Project
    • A new clothing brand that gives 15 % of profits to Suicide Prevention and Mental Health awareness (National Alliance on Mental Illness and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention).
    • This brand makes clothes that spread positivity without speaking.
    • With these fundraisers, the heyyou project is able to raise awareness about mental health issues and spread positivity outside of clothes with billboards, creative content, and influencer partnerships

 

  • Start Your Recovery
    • A groundbreaking new website that serves as a one-stop shop for finding local resources & support for substance abuse disorders.
    • Concise, consolidated list including rehabilitation centers across Michigan, both upper and lower peninsula.
    • Sort by insurance, offered services, city, type of detoxification, language, specialty groups and more to find the right location for you.
    • Search for clinic options here: https://startyourrecovery.org/treatment/rehab-centers/michigan

Crisis hotlines are available 24/7

  • Call: (906) 482-4357, Text: (906) 356-3337, Chat: https://dialhelp.org/
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness: 
    • National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
    • Franklin County Suicide Hotline (Call and Text) : 614-221-5445

Pathway: https://www.pathwaysup.org/ 

  • Crisis hotline: 1-888-728-4929
  • Access to services: 1-888-906-9060
  • Free crisis counseling between 5pm and 8am and on weekends
    • Phone Number: (855) 384-1800
  • Crisis Text line
    • Text HOME to 741741 (Free Crisis Line )
  • suicide prevention hotline
    • 988
  • CWC Talks: The College Mental Health Podcast
    • “provides honest conversations on mental health issues facing college students”
  • A Slight Change of Plans
    • “fun, intimate podcast which dives into human behavior and all the ways in which we change and evolve”.
  • Meditation Minis
    • “provides short bouts of varied meditation techniques that can be done in 15 minutes or less”.

All apps listed below offer free access, although some may have in-app purchases for enhanced features.

  • Better Stop Suicide
    • best for: suicide awareness, positive thinking
    • “help people who are having suicidal thoughts by encouraging their minds to slow, calm down, and think rationally”. 
  • iBreathe
    • best for: stress, breathing techniques
    • simple way to reduce stress and anxiety
  • MindShift
    • best for: anxiety
    • “provide anxiety relief using CBT tools to adjust thinking and behaviors”.
  • Happify
    • best for: boosting mood
    • uses games to help in different areas including: coping with stress, fueling your career success, achieving mindfulness through meditation, conquering negative thoughts, building self-confidence.
  • What’s Up?
    • best for: general mental health
    • “uses CBT and ACT methods to help you cope with depression, stress, and more”.
  • Sanvello
    • best for: stress, anxiety, depression
    • features mood tracking, guided journeys, coping tools, progress assessment and peer support; optional coaching and therapy
  • Relax with Andrew Johnson Lite
    • best for: sleep
    • guided sleep meditations, mindfulness sessions
  • Bearable
    • best for: symptom tracking
    • “health tracker that helps you put mental health symptoms into context with your general well-being”
  • Insight Timer
    • best for: meditation
    • “over 80,000 free guided meditations from over 10,000 teachers on topics like stress, relationships, healing, sleep, creativity, and more”.
  • Healthy Minds Program
    • best for: mindfulness
    • “helps you develop the skills for a healthy mind - by strengthening mental focus, decreasing stress, and growing resilience, compassion, and better immune health”
  • NMU Wild Pups - Animal Assisted Intervention Program (AAI)
    • goal = to provide recreation, education, motivation, and support to enrich campus
    • Animal Assisted Activity
      • provide recreational opportunities to enhance the quality of life of others
      • more informal and include general therapy visits
    • Animal Assisted Education
      • handler-animal team is qualified to provide educational services on AAI
    • Animal Assisted Therapy
      • a formal therapeutic capacity when a handler-animal team is qualified to provide professional services such as physical, cognitive, or psychosocial therapies. 
  • NMU Art therapy club
  • Suicide prevention training
  • Conservation crew hosts hike october

Updated 5/31/2024