“Do I even need this?”
It all begins with an idea, a feeling, a thought. Something doesn’t feel right. Or perhaps a want to improve. All of these reasons are reason enough to participate in therapy. In all seriousness, there is no need to have a reason to begin therapy. There only is need for a want too, a want to improve, or to communicate about an area in your life.
Some additional signs for therapy that the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) (2022) have identified include:
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Feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and/or helplessness
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Excessive worry/fear
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Changes in normal routine, such as sleeplessness, increase or decrease in hunger
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Substance misuse
This is not a complete and comprehensive list, but can be a reason that therapy would be beneficial for a person.
In addition, therapy has a plethora of stigmas and barriers that create challenges for clients and therapists. Let’s break down some of those stigmas:
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Therapists can fix all my problems in (set amount of sessions)
Therapy is not an immediate fix all, but a series of gradual changes and shifts. It would be wonderful if magic wands existed and therapists could erase the trauma, the hurt, and the pain that clients have. Unfortunately, these do not exist. What does exist is the possibility of a transformation process.
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Therapists will see you as weak or “crazy”
Therapists will see you as an individual who is overcoming a life obstacle. There is no bias or judgments about what your concerns are. It is not the therapist’s role to decide or believe that your concerns are “more” or “less” than your perception of them. The therapist’s job is to help identify ways and means to overcome these obstacles or find ways to detour around them.
Maybe you want to work on a better relationship with your family. Maybe you want to work through trauma from a past relationship. Or maybe you want to have a more positive outlook on your overall wellbeing. Whatever it is, therapy may benefit you and make all the difference.
The beauty of your story is that it keeps evolving.
Reference:
National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). (2022). Warning signs and symptoms. Retrieved from https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms