You're wondering "is therapy for me? Are my problems 'real enough' for me to qualify? Trust me, you're not alone in that. I have also hesitated picking up the phone when calling a new therapist, thinking "well, I'm not going through as big of a crisis as [insert basket case here] so maybe I shouldn't even bother..." But still you have things that keep you up at night, or you want to fine tune some aspect of your life, or you just need support while going through a tough time. All of those are great reasons to start therapy. Here are some ways therapy can help:
You're going through a crisis. This is what people think of most often when thinking of therapy. My marriage is falling apart, I've had a major health scare and I'm dealing with the aftershock, I am in a deep depression, my panic attacks have rendered me incapacitated. This is when you come in to "stop the bleeding" and figure out how to handle the crisis.
You're feeling like things are coming to a head. You're not in a crisis just yet, but you're unhappy and you feel that if things continue as they have been, you'll be in one before you know it. This is actually a much better time to come in than when you're already knee-deep. We can figure out what's been going on and have time to do some soul searching as to why you've gotten to where you are.
You want to deal with a specific issue that isn't life altering but is interfering with your quality of life. A difficult family member or friend, a possible career change, low self esteem or negative self talk. This is when we can do some exploration and go deeper into your goals, motivations, and desires. We can unpack things that you feel are holding you back, and find solutions to overcome those obstacles.
You're feeling pretty good overall, but you've been curious about what makes you tick. Perhaps you wonder why you're attracted to some people more than others, or you want to process through whether the career you're in is the right one for you over the long term. Maybe you have a friend who's really into the Enneagram and that got you curious about yourself. This is what I consider to be preventative care, because we often circumvent deeper issues forming when we are able to be more self aware from the get go.
If you're a couple, then all of these categories apply to your relationship as well, just through the lens of your relationship and how you individually fit together as a couple.
So, who benefits from therapy? The short answer: everyone. If you're on the fence about whether your problems are "serious enough," that tells me that you've got the motivation to work on yourself and a motivated client is the client who sees the best results. In fact, it's better to come in earlier (preventative) than later (crisis time). I encourage you to take that first step by contacting me today.
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