Getting therapy in residency?

[8rue]

Hi everyone! Incoming R1 here, I'm having trouble deciding which private insurance plan to pick for residency... I have a cheap option that doesn't cover psychologists and a more expensive option that generously cover psychologists. I've actually been thinking about seeing a therapist for a while, so I feel like I could definitely take advantage of this benefit and get my money's worth. However, I'm very hesitant to see a therapist as a resident, as I'm scared that would force me "self-declare" as needing mental health services or whatever and that screwing me over later on in my career as I've heard of many people in our field having negative experiences from having needed to seek such care. I was thinking perhaps I could see a therapist completely privately and pay completely out of pocket so as to minimize the traces, and I worry that having my therapist visits documented by my insurer might cause me trouble down the line. Am I being paranoid and overthinking this? What's the best way to go about seeking out therapy as a resident without harming my career?

To be clear, I don't believe I have an actual psychiatric diagnosis that needs to be treated or that will interfere in any way with my ability to practice. I'm just going through some stuff in my personal life and I feel like talking to a therapist could help me be happier and live better.

Thanks for your help!

[shikimate]

There are "life coach" out there who claims to have certification from various institutions. I have never used one so don't know much about it. Sounds like maybe you just need a "fishing buddy" or "beer buddy" to get you over some humps in life.

[LostLamb]

Lots of residents in psych engage in their own psychotherapy, even if they don’t have a diagnosis. If they see an MD, it is covered by provincial health plan. In those cases there still needs to be a diagnosis even if there is no overt diagnosable disorder—often an unspecified DSM disorder is assigned (like unspecified personally disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, etc). Otherwise it is through private insurance or out of pocket.  

another route for support could be through your provincial medical association, which should have/suggest a physician health support program.

be careful about wanting to hide this—if you do get any kind of diagnosis from someone who can diagnose (psychology, psychiatry, family doctor) then you are required to self declare it on your licensing application if it requests it. In some cases the wording is such that they specifically ask if it is something that has or could potentially affect your work—that is more of a grey area as to whether to disclose or not and I would speak with your doctor regarding what to say in such a case. 
 

what you definitely do not want is to be paranoid and go to lengths to hide that you’re obtaining help, only for it to blow up in your face. Lying is looked upon much less favourably than disclosure of an adjustment disorder.