Is Therapy For Me?

I’d love to answer this question for you with an outstanding YES!!!

But I am going to do my best to help you find a way to answer this question for yourself. Because, ultimately, this is about you.

You Don't Have To Be 'Sick'

In order for me to help you answer this question, I'd like to first address a few common misconceptions about therapy. One I often hear from people unsure if therapy is for them is you must be 'sick', 'disturbed', or 'messed up' to seek help. That is just not true. Although there are therapists that work with people who suffer from severe mental health issues, most people that seek out therapy are needing some help addressing every day life challenges and transitions.

Progress Happens Gradually

Another misconception is all it takes is one big breakthrough, one big “ah ha” moment where you cry and leave the session having overcome all of your challenges. Although you may experience a big “ah ha” moment in therapy, it usually doesn’t change your behavior immediately. Therapy is generally made up of a series of small breakthroughs that happen over time and it takes time for your mind patterns, beliefs and behavior to catch up. That said, you will do work outside of session. This is where the true magic happens and where you will practice pulling from your strengths to address old ways of relating that are holding you back.

Therapists Do More Than Listen

There are many more misconceptions about therapy, but the last I am going to address today is the belief that the therapist is a “blank screen” who rarely engages with their clients. Many therapists today, myself included, are interactive with clients. The therapeutic process is a relationship and relationships are dynamic and interactive. This means many therapists will ask questions, offer their insights, and a different way of engaging or relating to the challenge you are addressing in therapy.

Understanding Is The First Step

If you are interested in gaining a better understanding of yourself, making small, incremental shifts that enhance your overall satisfaction in life, or you are feeling stuck in a particular area of your life, therapy may be what you need. Most of the clients I work with are well-adjusted, smart and successful people needing some help through the messier parts of being human.

If you find that you can relate to this, or struggling with mental health related issues, I'd encourage you to seek out the support you need and deserve from a mental health professional.