This chapter assumes that you have used one of the two methods described in Chapter 7, "Self-Diagnosis: Mapping Your Way to a Therapy," and have now chosen an approach to therapy that seems most promising in relation to your goals or problems and your personality. You now face the practical problem of how to locate a therapist with the professional expertise to offer you the kind of help you desire. There are three factors that you need to take into account in order to find a suitable therapist: 1. the degree of seriousness of your problem or need 2. any financial limitations you may have 3. the resources available where you live (or how far you are willing to travel if you cannot locate the help you want in your area) {242} The seriousness of your problem or need may fall into one of three general categories: _Very urgent need_: You are severely upset, perhaps suicidal or dangerous to others. Or, you are suffering from extreme changes of mood or personality, major depression, delusions, or hallucinations. In either of these cases, you should see a professional immediately. You or a friend or relative should contact your family physician for a referral to a _psychiatrist_ or call a crisis intervention center for a referral to a psychiatrist. (Crisis intervention centers, sometimes called _suicide prevention centers_ or _crisis hot lines_ are listed among the emergency numbers on the inside front page of your White Pages directory; otherwise, dial 911 for assistance.) _Serious personal, marital, or family problems or goals_: You, you and your spouse, or members of your family need help soon but can wait for an appointment, if necessary, for a number of weeks. _Moderate need_: There is no urgency. You are interested, before you consider formal therapy, in exploring some alternatives--perhaps by talking with a minister, priest, or rabbi or by trying one of the adjunctive approaches to therapy (such as therapeutic exercise, meditation, relaxation training) on its own, without individual therapy. This chapter is intended primarily for people in the well-populated middle category, people who have serious problems or goals and are able to weigh alternatives carefully and without extreme pressure. The seriousness of the problem and the cost of treatment go hand in hand. The range of treatment alternatives is shown in the table below.