WASHINGTON 鈥� Nearly a decade after Elizabeth Johnsen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she decided to try therapy.
Her decision came at the insistence of her psychiatrist, who Johnsen said was an 鈥渁dvocate that medication and therapy needed to go hand-in-hand.鈥�
鈥淚 had never been consistent with any type of therapy before, and I kind of woke up one day and realized I better listen to him,鈥� said Johnsen, who lived in Vienna, Virginia, at the time.
But first, there were a few obstacles to overcome.
One was the cost of counseling. Therapy is expensive, with some hourlong sessions totaling upward of $200. Because of this, Johnsen knew the frequency with which she could access care was limited. Then, someone told her about The Women鈥檚 Center.
Founded in 1974, is a nonprofit organization that provides mental health counseling and support to thousands of people each year from its locations in Vienna, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Unlike most therapy offices, The Women鈥檚 Center operates on a sliding-scale payment system, making care more affordable, and thus more accessible.
Shirley Clark, executive director and CEO of The Women鈥檚 Center, said a typical session with one of the center鈥檚 65 therapists costs between $22 and $60 an hour. For Johnsen, this steep discount made all the difference. She was able to seek the counseling she needed, sometimes multiple times a week.
鈥淎nd (I was able to) really work on the issues that I need to work on to be stable and balanced and well,鈥� Johnsen said.
According to the (NAMI), one in five Americans is affected by mental health conditions, but only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment. The cost of care is one deterrent to treatment, but so is the stigma that surrounds mental health 鈥� another hurdle that delayed Johnsen鈥檚 decision to seek therapy.
NAMI calls stigma 鈥溾�� to those affected by mental health conditions because 鈥渋t creates an environment of shame, fear and silence that prevents many people from seeking help.鈥� Lack of treatment for serious mental illness costs the U.S. in lost earnings each year, NAMI reports.
Johnsen said her 鈥渂iggest fear” about seeking therapy and going public with her bipolar diagnosis was that she鈥檇 lose friends and business clients.
鈥淲hen you find out that you suffer from some kind of a mental illness, people want to withdraw, they don鈥檛 want to tell anybody, it鈥檚 really a big secret 鈥� and it鈥檚 in silence that people suffer,鈥� said Johnsen, whose mother and brother also struggled with mental illness.
鈥淏ut the risk of sharing the truth was worth fighting the stigma.鈥�
Johnsen, who recently moved to Florida, attended therapy at The Women鈥檚 Center for several years. She is still in therapy and keeps in touch with her Virginia-based therapist via phone calls, FaceTime and in-person visits.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a project; it鈥檚 a process; it鈥檚 a daily part of your life,鈥� Johnsen said. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually proud to say, now, that I鈥檓 in therapy.鈥�
Over the years, Clark has heard many success stories similar to Johnsen鈥檚. She has also seen more members of the community come to The Women鈥檚 Center (which, despite its name, also treats men and children), and attributes the trend to the public gradually 鈥済etting over the stigma鈥� that has haunted mental health for so long.
She wants others to know that taking care of one鈥檚 mental health is just as important, and should be just as routine, as taking care of one鈥檚 physical health.
鈥淵ou need a checkup now and then. You need to know what makes you healthy and understand how your brain works. And many people don鈥檛 know that and could benefit greatly by learning a few things,鈥� Clark said.
鈥淲e all have stuff at any point in our life, and just picking up the phone and calling is a first step to getting to where you need to be.鈥�
Johnsen calls the therapy she received at The Women鈥檚 Center 鈥渁 lifesaver,鈥� and urges anyone considering counseling or struggling with mental illness to go sooner rather than later.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e afraid, I understand. I spent my life afraid, but there is help out there. I know it鈥檚 scary, but once you鈥檙e there, once you have that therapist and you鈥檙e willing to work on yourself or whatever situation you have, to me, there鈥檚 no option not to,鈥� Johnsen said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to be scared, but it鈥檚 not OK to not do anything about it if it鈥檚 going to impact your life.鈥�
The Women鈥檚 Center offers counseling for individuals, families and couples. You can find more information and make an appointment on the . On Oct. 13, The Women鈥檚 Center will host its annual gala to raise funds to support its services. .
Mental Health Awareness Week is Oct. 7-13. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥�.鈥� Information and resources are available on .
