People are sometimes unable to commit to therapy or other treatments for a variety of reasons, including lack of health insurance or a shortage of care providers. There is also a recent surge of people seeking mental health services, resulting in long waiting lists.
With rising costs, issues accessing care, or long wait times, you may wish to seek alternative therapeutic options. Read on to learn more about complementary therapies and other strategies to improve mental health without counseling.
Complementary Therapies
Complementary treatments are approaches to health that occur alongside conventional medical treatment. Studies show that complementary therapies positively impact mental health disorders, particularly anxiety and depression.
Some complementary approaches to consider include:
Yoga: In a 2020 study, researchers found that yoga as a complementary therapy is effective in both managing and reducing anxiety and depression. Researchers suggested daily practice, but indicated more research needs to be done to determine exactly how many times per week is most effective for anxiety and depression. Dance: The flow of somatic (body-based) movements create additional outlets for expression and emotion, which may bring new insights that might not be as available through language-based talk therapy. Synchronizing with your own physical sensations may help your physical and mental health. Art: According to one study, art (particularly art therapy) can offer significant benefits to minimize symptoms and maximize the functioning of those living with mental illness. Music: Research indicates that music therapy is a valuable method of support for people living with mental illness and mental disorders. Meditation: Evidence-based research supports that meditation reduces stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and cardiovascular risk. Exercise: Physical activity has been proven to help improve mental health symptoms. A large 2018 study of 1. 2 million Americans found that individuals who exercised experienced around 43% fewer days of poor mental health per month than those who did not exercise.
Mental Health Apps
From mindfulness tips to deep breathing to cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, there are numerous mental health apps worth exploring, and many of them are free.
Community centers: Check out your local community center for free or low-cost yoga classes, exercise classes, and even art or dance classes. Online: There are numerous free exercise, dance, yoga, and art offerings online. Local parks: Local parks sometimes offer free yoga classes and may even offer other exercise classes for reduced or no cost. Churches: Churches sometimes offer exercise and yoga classes for free or with minimal cost. Libraries: Head to your local library and see what community offerings they may have.
Calm: Includes meditation, relaxation music, sleep stories to help you fall asleep, and other features designed to help with anxiety. Headspace: Includes mindfulness-based guided meditations, sleep stories and music, and mood-boosting workouts. Moodfit: Includes cognitive behavioral exercises to process intrusive and distorted thoughts, and helps you track your mood over time. MoodMission: This evidence-based app gives tips and strategies to help cope with low moods and feelings of anxiety. Happify: Includes science-based games and activities to help you overcome negative thoughts, reduce anxiety, and manage burnout. Shine: Designed as an inclusive, daily self-care app that includes daily check-ins, meditations, and community support for BIPOC individuals.
Journaling
Writing down what is bothering you can be a helpful therapeutic tool. It may even reveal new insights.In a study of mothers under stress while supporting adult children with substance use issues, researchers found that journaling improved their emotional well-being, reduced stress, and offered new insight and changes in perspective.
If you are experiencing any of the following, consider contacting a mental health provider:
Insomnia, trouble sleeping, excessive sleeping, or nightmares Difficulty getting up or accomplishing routine daily tasks Loss of interest in activities that you usually enjoy or isolating from others Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
You can also contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline online or call 1-800-662-4357 for more information on how to find support and treatment options specific to your geographic area.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Another study indicated that journaling can relieve stress and enhance reflection and perspective. It has become a frequent tool for medical residency programs, due to high rates of burnout among medical residents.
Self-Help Books
Self-help books offer tools and insights for mental well-being. Selecting a book can be tricky, because each person experiences them differently. A book that may change one person’s life could be a dull read to someone else.
Here’s a few tips on finding a fit in self-help books:
Get recommendations: Ask a therapist, counselor, or another mental health professional what they would recommend for you to read. Read reviews: Lots of online sites have detailed reviews that can give you an idea of what others think of the book. Sneak-peek: Take some time at the library or bookstore to thumb through the book to see if it will be a good fit. Check online for chapter downloads or an online view of the first few pages to see if the book is what you’re looking for.
Support From Friends and Family
Studies consistently show that support and connection are crucial to our mental well-being. Connections with friends and family are important for mental health because they provide a sense of meaning, connection, support, and purpose.
One study indicates that building, restoring, and sustaining our social networks and connections support mental health and can also help overcoming loneliness.
Pet Therapy
According to research, pets can help reduce both physiological and mental stress, and improve anxiety levels.
If you don’t have a pet, there are other ways to make emotional connections with animals, including:
Volunteer: Local animal shelters are often in need of sponsors and volunteers to help care for the animals. Humane society: Contact your local humane society for ways you can help with animals in your community. Fostering pets: If you want a pet but can’t make a long-term commitment, perhaps fostering pets and helping re-home them might be an option. Pet sitting: Consider becoming a pet sitter so you can spend time with pets without the long-term commitment.
Summary
People may be unable to participate in or commit to therapy for a variety of reasons, including costs, lack of insurance, and growing demand. Alternative options to therapy include exercise (like yoga and dance), meditation, art, music, journaling, and reading. Mental health apps are available to help support you as well. If available to you, animals can also be a great resource for emotional connection.
A Word From Verywell
When therapy isn’t an option, there are are other methods that can complement mental health services. Activities like yoga, meditation, journaling and more have been proven to help improve emotional well-being.
If you are in need of mental health services and cannot afford them, most communities offer free and low-cost community services. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for more information on how to find support and treatment options in your area.
Strong emotional responses and/or feelings of sadness, numbness, worry, frustration, fear, and angerChanges in energy, desire to do things you normally do, interests, and appetiteTrouble concentrating or making decisionsDifficulty sleeping, having insomnia, and/or nightmaresPhysical reactions including headaches, body aches, joint aches, stomach aches, and skin rashesUrge to engage with substances such as alcohol, tobacco, or drugs
Counseling: In general, counseling often focuses on specific issues. It may help a person address a particular problem. In some cases, counseling may be more short-term than therapy. Therapy: Therapy may be more long-term and focus on a wider variety of issues. It may address patterns in behaviors and past childhood issues.
However, all of this can vary widely among mental health practitioners. It may be best to ask a potential mental health provider about their therapeutic style.
Studies indicate that the relationship between therapist and patient is what has the most impact on outcomes, independent of the type of therapeutic approach. So whether it’s therapy or counseling, short-term or long-term, or something in between, what matters most is how you connect with the therapist.
