"Where Do People Find a Good Therapist" Asks a Woman Whose Therapists Keep Ghosting Her

I have been in and out of therapy my entire life. As a child it was more my mother's decision and less my own, which means I was never going to benefit from whatever help they were offering me. In my twenties the bulk of my therapy sessions revolved around particularly bad episodes that were never debilitating enough to warrant any real change. It wasn't until I reached my thirties, with the back half of my life looming large, that I decided it was time to really take care of my mental health.

During my search for a therapist, I absolutely encountered more bad ones than good ones. All this to say, I deeply feel for one TikToker who took to the social media app in order to ask for help in finding a decent therapist. It's hard out there, but it's even harder in our brains.

Brielle, who goes by @briellematranga_ on TikTok, is doing a very brave thing by asking TikTok to help her find a therapist. A lot of people looking for a therapist are already in a tough spot, which means any hiccups can be very discouraging. She is not willing to let the speed bumps on her road to recovery stop her from getting help.

Obviously, Brielle has tried everything, which she expertly lays out in her video. This is not the first time she has attempted to begin seeing a mental health professional, but it's the last time she will be treated like garbage by one. A few years prior to filming this video, Brielle's therapist suddenly said she couldn't take her.

She then opted to go through BetterHelp who matched her with two people who did not work for her. That's probably a good thing because according to the Federal Trade Commission, BetterHelp "repeatedly pushed people to take an Intake Questionnaire and hand over sensitive health information through unavoidable prompts," with the promise that this would be kept private. However, the platform shared information with "major advertising platforms, including Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest."

This shouldn't be the final boss of therapy search tools and yet one's own insurance usually is. I can't tell you how many times I would find someone listed on my insurance's website, only to be told by that medical professional that they no longer take insurance. It sounds as if Brielle was dealing with the same issue.

When she finally found a therapist, Brielle was once again met with some fairly unprofessional behavior. "This lady canceled on me a month ago, and rescheduled me for today [Dec. 4, 2023]. We're literally on our way there and she canceled on me, again." By the way, this happened a mere hour before the appointment.

Brielle pointed out what many of us have felt while on the hunt for a therapist. Reaching a place where you are finally ready to talk shouldn't be less emotionally draining than finding a therapist who will treat you with the care and respect you deserve. Hopefully Brielle is already proud of the effort she has put into working on herself.

People were quick to jump in the replies to offer support, suggestions, or similar stories. More than one person suggested Brielle get a referral from her general practitioner. Because she used a postpartum hashtag in the caption, one TikToker said she should go through her gynecologist.

I found my therapist through a website called Open Path Collective. At the time I didn't have insurance, and they offered me a sliding scale of $30 per session. That's very good. I have also found that the Zocdoc app has never steered me wrong. Not only will they make sure the therapists they suggest actually take your insurance, but they usually get you in pretty quickly. I've been known to see a doctor the day I made the appointment.

Brielle popped into the comments to let everyone know she decided to find a therapist via Psychology Today. This website is great because it also has a ton of resources available for any and all problems one might be struggling with. Here's hoping Brielle finds her therapy match!