Consultation and Referral Service

The Consultation and Referral Service helps match members of the community with referrals to the highly trained and experienced psychotherapists and psychoanalysts who are members of the Center. Upon calling the Consultation and Referral Service, you will be asked to provide information about the kind of referral you are looking for, and any important factors such as location, financial limitations, or needing to use a particular insurance. The C&R volunteer (one of our licensed clinician Members) will determine if any referrals are available that meet your needs among our membership, or if not, will try to assist you with connecting you to other community resources.

About Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis with PCOP Members

The Members of the Center are highly skilled psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. All of our members have completed or are pursuing rigorous post-graduate training as psychoanalysts or psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapists. Treatment is provided in the private offices of our members, throughout the greater Philadelphia area, surrounding suburbs, and Montgomery County. Our members provide services for adults, adolescents, and children related to a wide range of difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, struggling with academic performance, relationship problems, grief and loss, or navigating life changes. Some of our members participate in select insurance plans, and others may offer a sliding scale upon request. If finances are a concern, we will be happy to talk about your situation and available options.

How do I decide if therapy or psychoanalysis is right for me?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis (a more intensive kind of psychotherapy that involves meeting multiple times per week) are particularly effective for the treatment of persistent emotional problems or personality patterns that you haven’t been able to change through brief therapy, medication, or self help. These kinds of persistent patterns can be expressed in many ways:

• Chronic sadness, anxiety, or loneliness

• Shame and guilt

• Ongoing worries, doubts, and ruminations

• Difficulty finding or keeping a satisfying romantic relationship

• Repetitive patterns of conflict in work and/or relationships

• Unresolved trauma, grief or loss

Meeting with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist or psychoanalyst is unique in its focus on not only managing symptoms, but identifying what is driving them. This includes fostering greater self understanding, insight, awareness, and an improved ability to cope with stress and difficult emotions. It can also lead to significant improvements in self confidence, self esteem and your relationships, as you change the way you relate to others and are able to live with greater flexibility, joy and freedom.

When you speak with a psychodynamic therapist or psychoanalyst about starting treatment, you will collaborate to determine the best frequency of sessions based on your individual situation. The goal will be to provide the time needed to develop the safe, confidential, and caring treatment relationship that will allow you to explore and understand your inner life.

We strongly believe that psychoanalytic treatment is the best approach for deep and lasting change to persistent emotional problems because it leads to a rewiring of entrenched patterns. Research has demonstrated that although other kinds of treatments can offer symptom relief, the benefits of a psychoanalytic treatment continue on even after the therapy has ended.

We at PCOP understand that you feel upset about the difficulty of locating a provider who meets your parameters. We encourage you to consider which of your parameters you could be more flexible about. Patients seeking pro bono or low-fee services usually need to be flexible on one or more of their criteria in order to find a provider with availability. This can be disappointing, but it is better than delaying care indefinitely.

Suggestions:

• If you are seeking pro-bono or a very low fee analysis: Trainees do see sliding scale patients, but these spots fill up quickly due to demand, and they are not completely free.
• If you have Medicare but don't want to use your benefits: Medicare would be a way to access more providers. Many people use insurance to pay for therapy without issue.
• If you prefer in-person: There may be therapists who work virtually who would be open to working with you.
• If you are requesting more frequent therapy: If your finances are limited, once weekly therapy could be a starting place, rather than going without support while searching.

Resources:

Outside of PCOP, there are two other analytic organizations in Philadelphia who you might speak with. They may have members that are able to see you regularly.

• Philadelphia Consultation Center: https://pcctherapy.com/

• Institute for Modern Psychoanalysis: https://psptraining.com/

Local University Resources:

There are several university training clinics in the Philadelphia area that have clinical interns who may be able to accommodate a low fee. These are not psychoanalytic institutions, but it could be a way to get support from a therapist. Here are a few options:

• Chestnut Hill College Psychological Services Clinic: 215-233-1914

• Drexel Psychological Services Center: 215-553-7128

• PCOM Center for Brief Therapy: 215-871-6487

City of Philadelphia Resources:

Philadelphia has a mental health walk-in clinic for same-day mental health services, that offers services regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

Merakey Mental Health Walk-In Clinic
3125 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19132
Open daily from 11am to 6pm

Emergency Resource:

Lastly, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need immediate support, the Philadelphia mental health hotline 988 is available 24/7.

While we haven't been able to find you a referral that meets your criteria at PCOP, we encourage you to explore these resources to access assistance.