Mental Health Navigator

Find the right support for what you're going through

Describe what you're going through and get clear guidance on what type of support fits your situation, how to find it, what it costs, what to say when you reach out, and what you can do in the next 48 hours.

See what Mental Health Navigator gives you

This is the complete, real output from an actual Mental Health Navigator run on the sample situation below — nothing here is invented or shortened.

Sample situation

I've been having really bad anxiety for the past 6 months, mostly around work. I can't sleep, I overthink everything, and I've started avoiding situations that make me nervous. I'm not sure if I need a therapist or a doctor. I tried talking to my GP once but they just told me to exercise more. (Tagged: Anxiety / worry, Work / career, Sleep problems)

Real run, 2026-09-23 — the tool's own built-in example scenario.

What we heard

It sounds like the past six months have been genuinely exhausting — the worry, the sleepless nights, the sense that you're constantly bracing for the next thing, and then the frustration of not feeling heard when you did reach out for help. What you're carrying is real, and wanting to figure out the right kind of support takes courage.

Recommended support

  • Licensed therapist, CBT or ACT-focused (best fit) — structured talk therapies like CBT or ACT are designed to work with persistent worry, broken sleep, and avoidance. Expect weekly or biweekly 50-minute sessions working through patterns in thinking and behavior. Find one: Psychology Today's therapist finder (psychologytoday.com/us/therapists) — filter by zip code, then Insurance/Fees, and add Anxiety and Workplace Stress as issues; most profiles let you message directly. Other options: Alma or Headway, which verify insurance coverage upfront. Cost: with insurance, a $20–$50 copay per session is common; without insurance, many therapists offer sliding scale starting around $50–$80.
  • Employee Assistance Programme, EAP (lowest cost) — since the anxiety is tied closely to work, the employer may already pay for short-term counseling at no cost. Expect 3–8 free sessions with a licensed counselor via a confidential hotline, separate from HR. Find one: check the employee benefits portal or email HR and ask whether the benefits package includes an EAP and what number to call. Cost: typically free, employer-funded.
  • Psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner — if therapy alone doesn't feel like enough after a few months, or sleep deteriorates further, a psychiatrist can evaluate whether medication might help alongside therapy. Expect an initial 45–60 minute evaluation, then shorter follow-ups if medication is part of the plan. Find one: ZocDoc (zocdoc.com) lets you filter by psychiatrist, insurance, and availability, often showing real open slots. Cost: covered by most insurance plans; telehealth can reduce cost and wait time.

What to say when reaching out

  • Hi, I've been dealing with anxiety and sleep problems for about six months, mostly connected to work stress, and I'm looking for someone who can help me work through it.
  • I've tried my GP but didn't feel like it got to the root of things — I'm hoping to find a therapist or counselor who works with anxiety and avoidance.
  • I'm not sure exactly what I need yet, but I wanted to reach out and ask whether you work with people dealing with work-related anxiety and sleep difficulties.

Addressing your barriers

For cost: start by asking HR about an EAP — it's the most overlooked free resource, and your employer likely already offers it. If not, search Psychology Today with the Sliding Scale filter on, and mention cost directly when you contact a therapist. For not knowing where to start: you only need to take one step — open psychologytoday.com/us/therapists, put in your zip code, and send one message to one person whose profile sounds right.

Immediate steps

  • Today: call or email HR, or log into your benefits portal, and ask one question — does the company have an EAP and what is the number?
  • Today or tomorrow: go to psychologytoday.com/us/therapists, filter by your location and anxiety, and send a short message to one therapist whose profile feels right.
  • In the next 48 hours: if you want insurance verified upfront before booking, go to headway.co or helloalma.com and enter your insurance details — both show confirmed in-network therapists with real availability.
  • Tonight: try Sleep Architect — not as a replacement for support, but because getting even a little more sleep will make every other step easier.

What happens with your situation

With your own situation, Mental Health Navigator maps what you're going through to the kinds of support most likely to fit, gives you real ways to find and contact them, exact words to use when reaching out, and immediate next steps you can take today.

This is a real, complete tool run against a realistic sample situation. This tool does not diagnose or treat anything. If things feel overwhelming or unsafe right now, please reach out — US/Canada: call or text 988. UK/Ireland: Samaritans 116 123. Or your local emergency number.

Overview

Knowing you need help is the first step — but figuring out what kind of help, and how to actually get it, is its own challenge. Therapist? Psychiatrist? Coach? GP? Support group? The difference matters, and most people don't know where to start. MentalHealthNavigator cuts through the confusion: you describe what's been going on, and it recommends the right type of support for your situation, tells you how to find it (country-specific where possible), gives you the exact words to say when you reach out, and identifies what you can do today — not someday.

How to use it

  1. Select what's been on your mind — you can pick multiple areas
  2. Describe your situation in your own words — the more context you share, the more tailored the guidance
  3. Indicate what you've tried before — this prevents generic advice about things you've already done
  4. Note any barriers — cost, waitlists, location, language — so the guidance can address them directly
  5. Add your country for country-specific resources, directories, and cost information
  6. Click 'Find My Support Path' — get a prioritized recommendation, practical how-to, and immediate next steps

Example

Scenario: Someone selects anxiety, work, and sleep as areas, describes 6 months of work anxiety, avoidance, and sleep disruption, and notes their GP just told them to exercise more. They select cost as a barrier and 'United States' as country.

Result: What we heard: You've been managing significant work-related anxiety for 6 months that's affecting your sleep and daily life — and you haven't yet found support that actually helps. Recommended: (1) Licensed therapist specializing in CBT — directly targets the worry patterns and avoidance you described; Psychology Today directory lets you filter by specialty, insurance, and sliding scale. (2) Psychiatrist — if anxiety is severe enough to consider medication, a referral from your GP (or a new GP) is the path. What to say: 'I've been dealing with anxiety around work for about 6 months — it's affecting my sleep and I've started avoiding things. I'm looking for a therapist who works with anxiety.' Immediate steps: Search Psychology Today's therapist finder filtered to anxiety + your zip code + sliding scale today.

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