I prefer in-person therapy, but it's not always possible to do it, and in that case I believe that online therapy is better than no therapy at all. It's become more widespread and available since the pandemic, and many therapists are now seeing it as a valuable option to make their services more accessible to people.
I've talked about my experience with therapy before. I've lucky to have found a very capable therapist with whom I have a great relationship. I've been able to discuss everything with her without fear of being judged or getting a negative reaction—everything from minor annoyances, to personal problems, to suicidal ideation. I know that not every therapist is like her, and many people here have shared their bad experiences with incompetent, careless therapists, but my experience has shown me that good, effective psychotherapy is real.
My own personal bias is towards psychoanalysis, in part because my therapist is a trained psychoanalyst, but also because I just like the ethos of deep psychotherapy. It's not about labelling you with some disorder, giving you a prescription, and pushing you out the door. It's about working with another person to better understand yourself, how you relate to the world around you, and develop the skills to take control of your own existence instead of being dragged through the mud by your circumstances. It's not about "fixing" what's "wrong" with you. It's about understanding, insight, and growth. I'd recommend some form of psychoanalytic therapy to anyone who's looking.
The financial aspect is, of course, one of the big obstacles. This is something that you need to discuss with a therapist during your first meeting with them. I know many therapists charge on a sliding scale, and are willing to adjust their fee to fit the patient's financial circumstances. Insurance makes things quite difficult for therapists as well, and some have decided not to deal with it anymore. This, of course, varies from therapist to therapist, and the best way to go about it is to simply discuss it when meeting with one.
As for how to find a therapist, the most common options would be to ask for a referral from a physician, if you have one, from a friend or family member if possible. If none of this is an option, searching online for therapists in your area is another option, or asking a local university or training institution for psychologists if there is one. It can be a bit of an adventure to find someone, unfortunately, but I think it's worth giving it a go.
Oh, and you probably want to avoid services like Better Help and the like. The quality of the "therapy" on offer there tends to be abysmal. They overbook therapists, and there's a lot of bottom-of-the-barrel practitioners there who are simply interested in getting as many patients as possible to make some money, since those platforms favour quantity over quality.
