A PTSD Therapy 'Seemed Too Good to Be True'

The Bluemind Foundation is working with mental health professionals to provide training to hairdressers to teach them how to ask open-ended questions, spot nonverbal cues of distress in clients, provide comfort to those experiencing mental health crises and refer them to trained therapists. The goal of the training is to help fill the mental health care gap in an area where counseling is often not accessible or accepted by society. So far, 150 hairdressers have received the training and been dubbed “mental health ambassadors.”

In rural counties, it's not always easy to seek mental health treatment. To address this, several different resources have been built over the years in Richmond County, Ohio from call or text hotlines to educational campaigns specifically targeting school-aged children.

Street medicine teams across California are bringing therapy directly to unhoused people to address the widespread but overlooked mental health crisis among people experiencing homelessness. These teams conduct flexible, location-based therapy sessions using coping strategies adapted for life on the street, such as journaling and coloring. Multiple patients credit street therapy with helping them stabilize enough to navigate the complex housing application process and maintain housing once obtained.

The Aheza Healing Center established community-based healing spaces led by trained counselors who facilitate group discussions and provide mental health care to those struggling with PTSD. The groups offer a safe space for therapy and focus on teaching emotional regulation. Since forming in 2019, the program has helped about 5,000 people.

Latinx Talk Therapy offers bilingual mental health services in English and Spanish from Latinx therapists. These services help bridge the gap in accessing mental health care in Latinx communities. The Center opened in 2020 with a team of four therapists but has since grown to 50, as the services they offer have begun to gain more traction within the community.

After the pandemic, many teens are still opting for telehealth therapy rather than in-office care. Telehealth makes therapy more accessible for those who need it, particularly through collaboration with mental health platforms like Daybreak that partner with school districts across the U.S. to provide access to virtual therapy in schools. Daybreak’s data shows that 92% of families see behavioral improvements and 80% of school staff see attendance and grade improvements in students who participate in therapy.

Amongst an increased need for mental health care, Monadnock Family Services is offering group therapy to children to get them in for some level of care as staff shortages make offering individual therapy too difficult. The American Psychological Association found that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for most conditions — as well as more efficient. Monadnock Family Services offers a variety of groups depending on a patient’s interests and identity, like groups for those who enjoy hiking to groups for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Behavioral Health Urgent Care and Access Center at Integrated Services of Kalamazoo (ISK) works with local law enforcement to assist those experiencing mental health crises and divert them from having to visit emergency rooms or face incarceration. The ISK Center offers same-day treatment for substance abuse as well as mental health care. In the Center’s first month, they received 19,619 calls for service from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department, 2% of which were flagged as behavioral health calls.

The “Together with You” center employs psychologists to provide mental health care to civilians in need, including children. Similar centers have also emerged in the area to address rising mental health concerns, like Kimnara Pidtrymky (Support Room) to provide free psychological services to children, both in person and online. These centers — and others like them — often collaborate all in an effort to reduce mental health stigma in the country.

The Fresno Center provides immigration services and culturally relevant mental health care to members of the Southeast Asian community. The Center provides therapy in native languages and works to destigmitize mental health in an effort to heal decades of generational trauma.