Dear canary,

you’re very welcome. It’s great to hear that you’ve signed up for free mental health courses and have found a support group. Also, that you’ve talked with your mother about it. It’s really good that you can be so open with your mother, and that she understands and supports you in getting help for yourself.

As for needing a counselor, if you had a bad experience with it, better don’t go to just anyone. First you may try self-help and participation in the support group, and you can see how you’re feeling. If you feel better and are managing to keep your anxiety in check, perhaps you don’t necessarily need a counselor. If you feel you need extra help, you may ask the people in your support group to recommend someone good, who won’t immediately prescribe medications, but will use other techniques (since you had a bad experience with medications).

So if I were you, I’d go step by step, see if I can help myself, and if not, then seek a professional – but someone who suits your needs.