COVERING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Understanding and Finding the Best Resources for Your Mental Wellbeing August 2026
Health care isn’t just physical care. As the importance of mental health continues to grow, so does awareness and understanding of solutions meant to help individuals lead a positive life.
The stigma around mental and psychological health is decreasing but still prevalent. In 2019, 970 million people were living with a mental disorder, with the most common being depression and anxiety. Talking openly about what it can do for you, the different types of therapies available, and working with a provider that doesn’t make it feel like a chore, helps encourage proactive measures to reduce or even resolve mental health conditions.
Types of Therapy
There are a lot of techniques used to meet different needs and preferences. When looking for a therapist, common therapies you may come across are:
• Psychodynamic Therapy: Rooted in
psychoanalysis, this talk therapy explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or relationships that may contribute to distress. Often this treatment dives into past and childhood memories, along with recurring fantasies and dreams. Typically, a long-term treatment, psychodynamic therapy is more intensive with deeper insight and lasting change.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A goal-
oriented therapy, CBT is shorter-term and works to identify and address unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. The idea behind CBT is that beliefs or the perception of yourself contribute to distress. With a therapist’s guidance, you’ll learn to recognize negative patterns and replace them with positive, more constructive behaviors.
Several forms of therapies stem from CBT: > Exposure Therapy > Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) > Acceptance or Commitment Therapy (ACT) > Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) > Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Person-Centered Therapy: Based on the belief
that emotional distress can result from others criticizing you or disapproval of your choices or actions. This can make self-acceptance and growth difficult. Therapists offer acceptance, empathy, and guidance as you work on personal growth and positive change.
• Gestalt Therapy: Built around unresolved issues, relationships and family conflict, Gestalt therapy considers how these issues affect your emotional well-being. Focused on the present moment and often involves role-playing or acting out scenarios with movement or visualization.
Credentials & Types of Therapists When evaluating different providers, just as you would your primary care physician, knowing their credentials and qualifications is vital, but can be confusing. Aside from being licensed in your state, therapists should have completed a graduate degree and are licensed to provide therapy. Psychiatrist (MD) Licensed Psychologist (PsyD or PhD) ocial worker (Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) S or Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) Counseling (Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Skillset: Their skillset should match your main concerns. Anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or something else entirely — seek out therapists who specialize in those issues.
Finding the Right Fit Therapy requires clients to be open and vulnerable to appropriately address their issues. Personal connection is so important that the lack of it, as research shows, is why one in five clients drop out of therapy after one session. If you’re unsure of your compatibility, ask yourself questions like: • Do I feel heard and understood during sessions? • Do they use techniques or interventions that resonate with me? Are they flexible in adapting their approach to meet my needs? • Do I feel safe and comfortable opening up to them? • Do I trust their expertise and judgment? • Do they validate my experiences and emotions without judgment? • Do they understand and support my objectives for therapy? If you feel that you are not compatible with your therapist, find a new one. Don’t be afraid to “shop” for the right fit. It is important to know that you are not obligated to stick with a therapist whose demeanor, methods, and/or communication style do not meet your needs. While it may feel a bit awkward to “break up” with your therapist—you won’t be the first.
Medication Psych medication, or psychotropic medication, refers to drugs prescribed by a doctor to treat mental health conditions. Psychotropic medications regulate emotions and thought patterns, essentially impacting mood, behavior, and perception. This approach is most effective when combined with therapy and should only be taken under medical supervision. Often, medication is used temporarily to stabilize symptoms before transitioning to other strategies or lifestyle changes. It’s common to try multiple options and dosages before discovering the one that works best with the fewest side effects. Taking medication for mental health is just as valid as taking medication for physical conditions, and there is no shame in seeking the support needed to improve overall well-being.
Therapy by the Numbers In 2022, 23% of adults received mental health treatment, up from 19% in 2019.
Females are twice as likely to use mental health services compared to men.
26% of adults aged
18-26 report using mental health services vs 20% aged 65+.
Impact of Mental Health Availability After providing a mental health workshop, a consistent uptick in the use of mental health benefits was noticed. In 2024, Higginbotham completed 46 workshops with almost 2500 participants.
Workshop Title
Workshop Scheduled
Sum of Number of Participants
Addiction
1
35
ADHD
2
190
Burnout
10
496
Depression and Anxiety
5
537
Grief and Loss
1
15
Mental Health Overview
13
633
Stress Management
13
455
Suicide Awareness
1
100
Total
46
2461
Untreated mental health symptoms can negatively impact employee productivity, absenteeism, and cause an increase in healthcare costs when core issues are not addressed. By encouraging the use of provided mental health benefits, both parties reap the rewards. Higginbotham’s mental health program offers three main components: 1. Educational workshops that offer resources and work around destigmatizing the use of these employee benefits. 2. Assistance in finding an EAP or mental health vendor for the client. 3. A monthly distribution list to keep mental health topics top of mind.
Let’s Talk About This Available to any client of Higginbotham, the mental health program continues to grow with new resources added consistently. Offering greater accessibility and flexibility, webinar-based workshops are a cost-effective way to reach wider audiences and allow for a stigma-free environment. Together we can enable presentations tailored to your team. Reach out today to see how we can help.
Sources Mental Health By the Numbers | NAMI The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Effects on Mental Health—A before, during, and after Comparison Using the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey mhanational.org/the-state-of-mental-health-in-america/ Mental Illness | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Should Employers Offer Mental Health Benefits? (Yes, and here’s why!) | Murray Resources Mental Health | World Health Organization Are your clients leaving too soon? | American Psychological Association Psychologists struggle to meet demand amid mental health crisis | American Psychological Association Exploring the Rise in Mental Health Care Use by Demographics and Insurance Status | KFF
Higginbotham.com
866-316-3427 EB_ HIG -W TP_0826