You've managed the first step, which is coming to the awareness that you're dealing with something and need some professional help. I won't claim this to be a

You've managed the first step, which is coming to the awareness that you're dealing with something and need some professional help. I won't claim this to be a recommended way, it's only what has worked for me. I first sought therapy through the system (well, the NHS because I was in the UK...'the system' sounds ominous), but grew to feel that they weren't equipped to address my particular needs. It was useful but professionals working within these institutions often lack the flexibility to explore alternative processes. Since that time (around 9 years ago) I switched to seeking recommendations for local psychotherapists; professionals who were qualified to work on the level of meditation, somatic healing, and other things you're not likely to get from a GP appointed therapist or counsellor. Most cities will have directories for such therapists and, as is normal, you'll get the chance to have an initial consultation call to understand whether that's actually the right approach for you. A responsible practitioner will say no if they don't think it will work, and may well offer recommendations for something more suitable. It might be that you do a few sessions and realise that you need to touch on something else, and maybe you need someone else for it. Or you don't feel a rapport so you're not making progress. This is all fine, it's important that you allow for some trial and error so that you can establish a relationship that supports you and works for you. The most important thing is to use this initial spurt of courage to reach out to someone and get the ball rolling, even if you don't commit to them. It's so easy to overthink it and take a perfectionist approach, where you have to intuitively know that you either need a life coach or a psychiatrist or someone else, and eventually the inertia will itself become a blockage and a contributor to your burning out. It is overwhelming, I know, because you don't know who you can trust. On that level, what I would suggest is to reflect on your circumstances. A therapist (of any kind) is going to be with you to explore your past and work through issues there. A life coach is going to be with you to explore your future. After all of that, if you have a close friend or a partner you can trust implicitly, try reaching out to them by asking if they'll hear you out. The idea here isn't to let them shoulder your burden, it will just push them away. Instead, it's to know that you've got someone who wants to be there for you, and is happy for you to open up to them, while allowing yourself to reciprocate should they need a confidante in you. This can work wonders while also using therapy to work through what you're going through. I don't know how any of this applies to going through insurance, and it doesn't offer any concrete answers, but unfortunately we're not dealing with taking a broken leg to the nearest hospital. And to re-iterate some other points: don't commit yourself to the idea that therapy will 'fix' you or you'll get some immediate result. It might be that you need something else and you're not quite aware of it yet. To that extent, I wouldn't recommend jumping onto the spiritual path with meditation and all of that unless you feel your own calling to it and are confident in yourself about what you're opening up to. There are plenty of snake-oil salesmen out there who will take advantage of your current vulnerability and try to rope you into something that will do a great deal of damage over time.