Serious Mental Illness Therapy in Lincoln

When you live with a serious mental health condition, conversations about your life can become conversations about symptoms, appointments, and what went wrong last time.

Meanwhile, you may want to talk about finding work, repairing a friendship, returning to school, or having something to look forward to.

Those goals belong in therapy, too.

Matthew Sebek, MSW, PLMHP, at Brookhaven Therapy in Lincoln, works with adults experiencing serious and persistent mental illness, depression, and anxiety. He also works with people affected by incarceration and justice-system involvement.

His approach makes room for your experience, your priorities, and the parts of your identity that do not appear in a medical record.

What Does “Serious and Persistent Mental Illness” Mean?

“Serious mental illness” describes a mental health condition that substantially interferes with major areas of life, such as work, relationships, or daily activities. “Persistent” refers to difficulties that continue or recur over time.

These terms describe support needs. They do not tell someone everything about your abilities, relationships, or future. The National Institute of Mental Health explains the definition of serious mental illness here.

You might need help managing symptoms and also want to work on confidence, loneliness, communication, or independence. A useful therapy plan should make room for both.

Start With a Goal You Can Recognize in Daily Life

“Feel better” is a reasonable wish, but it can be difficult to know where to begin.

Try asking: “If the next month were a little easier, what would I notice?”

Your answer might be:

I would answer one friend’s messages.
I would have a plan for getting to appointments.
I would understand what to do when symptoms start changing.
I would spend some time outside my home.
I would feel more comfortable telling my care team what is not working.

These goals do not have to impress anyone else. They need to matter to you.

Matthew’s work can include identifying manageable goals, developing coping skills, exploring patterns in relationships, and addressing shame or self-criticism that makes reaching out harder.

Build a Short “When Things Get Harder” Plan

Consider developing a simple plan with your therapist or other treating professionals. It can fit on one page.

Changes I want to notice:
What tends to change when you are having a harder time? Examples might include withdrawing from people, missing appointments, or a noticeable change in sleep. Your own patterns matter more than a generic checklist.

People I can contact:
List your therapist, prescribing clinician if you have one, a trusted person, and relevant crisis services.

What helps me follow through:
Would a reminder, transportation plan, written instructions, or someone sitting with you while you make a call be useful?

When I need more support:
Agree with your care team on changes that warrant prompt contact and what to do outside office hours.

The purpose is to make getting help less complicated when you have less energy or concentration available.

If you take medication, bring questions about effectiveness, side effects, cost, or access to your prescribing clinician. Psychotherapy can be one part of a broader care plan; it does not replace prescribing services or a higher level of care when needed.

Returning to the Community Adds Practical Demands

If you have been incarcerated or are navigating probation, parole, or other justice-system involvement, mental health care may be one of many things competing for your attention.

Housing, transportation, identification, employment, supervision requirements, and appointments can all need attention at once. Difficulty managing that load is worth discussing directly.

A practical starting point is to separate two kinds of needs:

Needs for therapy: managing distress, understanding symptoms, rebuilding trust, coping with shame, and strengthening relationships.
Needs for additional services: housing assistance, benefits navigation, employment support, transportation, or legal advice.

You deserve support with both. Naming a practical barrier—“I do not have a reliable way to get there”—is more useful than having it mistaken for a lack of motivation.

When arranging therapy, ask how confidentiality works and whether anyone expects information about attendance or progress. If you have a treatment requirement, confirm that the proposed service meets it.

Support Beyond Individual Therapy

Connect with people who understand mental health challenges:
NAMI Nebraska’s Connection Recovery Support Groups are free, peer-led groups for adults experiencing mental health symptoms. Check the current calendar for online and local options.

Find support for family members:
NAMI Nebraska’s Family Support Groups offer support for relatives and others close to someone living with a mental health condition.

Explore reentry and employment resources:
The Center for People Community Reentry program in Lincoln supports people transitioning from incarceration into employment and community life. Its website also connects readers with food, education, and job-search services.

Get support during a crisis:
Call or text 988, or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for support with a mental health crisis or emotional distress. You do not have to be considering suicide to contact it. Call 911 for an immediate life-threatening emergency.

Work With Matthew Sebek in Lincoln

Therapy can be a place where your concerns are taken seriously and your goals help guide the conversation.

Matthew brings experience working with adults with serious and persistent mental illness and welcomes conversations about how mental health, relationships, and system involvement affect daily life.

Matthew is accepting new clients. His current insurance options are Aetna and Midlands Choice, with self-pay also available. Contact Brookhaven to confirm coverage and discuss whether his services fit your needs.