Mental Health of Artists, Struggles to Find Affordable Treatment, AND a Feature For Resident Advisor

Happy belated World Mental Health Day!

Resident Advisor reached out to me to discuss the importance of therapy and mental health treatment for artists in their new article. As you can imagine, I am a big advocate for artists and creatives of all kinds prioritizing their mental health. I see, time and time again, how much working on yourself improves your art, your work ethic, and your ability to deal with the ups and downs of the industry. I see working on yourself as an investment, and that dedicating time, energy, and finances is worth it short term, and long term.

The article Resident Advisor did focuses on how difficult the US health system is, in particular, for those that are freelance. Insurance is very expensive, and does not always provide the coverage that people need. Providers like myself have also gotten off panels, because of how insurance can interfere with care not just in the present, but even years later. With that said, it is worth noting that not everyone can invest in full fee therapy, so I recommend checking out resources like Open Path, that show clinicians that have sliding scale slots available. Open Path is a great affordable option, because the clinicians get some free marketing in exchange for offering at least one low sliding scale slot. I find that this is a great ethical option compared to other services out there that force clinicians to accept low wages, and see too many clients (among other issues). I also always encourage people to really make sure they know their benefits, as many have out of network benefits. Many of my clients utilize this benefit to get reimbursement to see me.

With all that said, if therapy is not for you, or is not financially possible at all, I encourage people to look for other resources such as support groups, guided journals, meditation and other wellness apps, and more. These resources of course are also useful to anyone currently in therapy too. There are many many ways to work on your mental health, and I encourage all artists and creatives to seek out whatever options they can, and experiment with their own personal self-care plans.

So check out my feature for Resident Advisor here, and continue celebrating World Mental Health Day!