FE Mental Health Series | ‘Therapy is expensive and finding the right therapist is even more challenging’

financialexpress.com:

29-year-old Rishika* is feeling better now. However, she believes there is always a scope of improvement. “…periodic fine-tuning is always needed,” she told Financial Express.com.

Rishika* decided to go for therapy when she realised some unresolved mental roadblocks is affecting her life.

“I decided to go for therapy when I found myself thinking about things that I had not acknowledged started to affect my mood and productivity. It was then that I realised I am not able to talk about how I am feeling to anyone even though I have people who would listen. I carried all those thoughts with me and they started to affect day-to-day activities,” She revealed.

However, her journey from the decision to get therapy to actually getting into the sessions wasn’t easy.

Mental health is extremely important and it plays a crucial role in the overall well-being of a person. Globally, the burden of mental health conditions is worrisome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion people are living with mental, neurological and substance use disorders. In India, although the landscape is evolving, there is still a massive gap concerning affordability and accessibility.

According to estimates, there are about 0.75 psychiatrists for every 1 lakh inhabitants in India, while the recommended number is 3 per 1 lakh people. The shortage of mental health professionals has contributed huge demand-supply gap, ultimately resulting in a heavy cost for patients.

“Therapy is expensive. Period. I can take a subsidised package but that just ties me to the organisation and even if I don’t like the therapist, I have already paid for it. Additionally, the therapists who move out of the organisation do not reduce the fee, even