Psychologists examine the relationships between behavior, brain function, and the environment. They offer one-on-one counseling for individuals, groups, couples, and families. Health insurance may cover mental health care, so check your plan about costs and how to find a psychologist.

People may choose to visit with a psychologist for one-on-one therapy sessions for a variety of reasons.

These can include grief from losing someone, overwhelming feelings of depression or anxiety, and many other family issues or phobias that someone might be experiencing.

The talk therapy can include just one person or bring in others who are part of your life, ranging from significant others and family to group sessions with other people experiencing similar mental health issues.

This type of mental health professional can diagnose mental health conditions through interviews and observations in therapy sessions. They do this by interpreting behaviors and responses, including how people relate to one another and their specific environments.

Depending on their training, they might also administer neuropsychological tests, which evaluate cognitive abilities, including memory, reading ability, planning, and problem-solving capabilities.

However, psychologists mostly don’t prescribe medication or order lab tests to rule out medical conditions. In those situations, they might refer you to a psychiatrist for continued care and medication.

Psychologists use what’s known as talk therapy, which may include:

  • one-on-one therapy
  • couples therapy
  • family therapy
  • group therapy

Types of therapy

You can work with a qualified mental health professional in many ways, for a variety of therapy approaches. Explore more therapy options that might be helpful to discuss with your healthcare team as you find care and begin therapy sessions.

You’ve probably heard of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most common types of psychotherapy. CBT aims to help people in therapy learn and practice specific techniques to work through unwanted emotions and negative thought patterns.

Some of their other therapy approaches might include:

Psychologists who work with children might also assess their thinking skills and academic capabilities and offer approaches uniquely suited to them, like play therapy.

Death is an unavoidable part of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Everyone handles the loss of a loved one — whether a parent or a pet — differently.

Grieving openly or privately is both common, but avoiding the realities of loss can lead to longer, lingering problems.

A psychologist can help you find appropriate ways to cope with the death of someone close to you.

Certain facets of life are stressful, and many situations — from a job interview to relationship problems — can cause you to feel anxious.

Stress and anxiety, if left to fester, can lead to social isolation, depression, and a slew of other problems.

A psychologist can help you manage stress and anxiety by finding the source or cause of your problems, as well as appropriate ways to overcome them.

Overwhelming feelings of helplessness or hopelessness are common signs of depression.

While some people believe that you can just “snap out” of depression, it rarely occurs.

Depression is a common mental health disorder where people lose interest in things, experience fatigue, and often have trouble managing their emotions.

Psychologists can help you find the source of depression, often the first step to feeling better, along with helping with negative thought processes.

Although phobias of heights and spiders are common, some unusual and unfounded fears can create substantial problems in one’s life. For example, sitophobia (fear of eating) may lead to serious health problems.

An experienced psychologist can help you begin to overcome your fears so that you can live without polyphobia (fear of many things) or phobophobia (fear of fear).

Relationships, whether family, personal, or work-related, have their ups and downs.

While relationships can be some of the best things in life, they can also be a source of stress and problems.

Working with a psychologist, either individually or in a group setting, can help iron out wrinkles that can form in even the strongest relationships.

Sometimes multiple symptoms are caused by larger problems.

Mental disorders can manifest themselves in several ways. They’re often disguised as something else and can only be uncovered with the help of a mental health professional.

Some mental disorders with varying symptoms include:

Some unhealthy habits — such as smoking, drinking, and drug use — are often used to escape larger underlying problems or to self-medicate.

While your psychologist will help you get to those problems, they can also help you tackle the problems immediately facing your health, such as:

Some of the most successful people achieve their goals by first visualizing them.

Athletes often mentally prepare for a competition with as much intensity as they physically train their body. Others use this technique to proactively prepare for challenging life events.

Just as you would rehearse a speech before giving it, your psychologist can help you prepare for big events so you can perform at your best, whether it’s the Olympics or a job interview.

A psychologist can be a helpful tool in your proverbial health kit. They can help you keep a clear mind and manage any stress, anxiety, phobias, and many other mental health concerns.

Therapy can be expensive, and insurance coverage may depend on different factors, including the plan, where you live, and any underlying medical conditions or diagnosed mental health issues you may have.

Your insurance may cover mental health care, including appointments with a psychologist. Plans are all different and may have different requirements for therapy and what type of mental health professional is preferred, so make sure to check your specific plan details to best understand access and affordability.

Psychologists and other therapists often accept patients on a sliding scale based on your ability to pay. Some also take patients at no cost.

Accessing help

Psychologists examine the relationships between behavior, brain function, and the environment. They offer one-on-one therapy for individuals, groups, couples, and families.

They may use a multitude of different approaches to psychotherapy, ranging from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and others that include art or play therapy.

Your health insurance plan may cover mental health care, so check your plan for costs and information on finding a psychologist.