I’ve never talked to a professional counselor before. It’s hard to ask for help.
Everyone needs help now and then, and reaching out for assistance is a resilience skill. People often have strengths and skills they are not event aware of, or perhaps they are no longer working as they have in the past. Sometimes issues accumulate and feel overwhelming and it’s difficulty to access past strengths and skills. Therapy helps identify strengths and skills, and teaches new strategies to address what is happening now.
What is the difference between talking to a therapist and talking to friends or family?
A mental health professional has training and experience that can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Friends and family are important supports and resources; but are often challenged with being objective in addressing issues of those they care about.
Why not just take medication?
Medication can be effective and is sometimes needed in conjunction with therapy. However, medication alone does not teach important resilience and communication skills to achieve personal or relational goals. Nor does it address the core issues causing symptoms and distress which can be addressed with therapies such as EMDR or Brainspotting.
How does therapy work and how long does it take?
Therapy treatment planning is a unique process with unique goals for each person. Length of time to achieve treatment plan goals is also unique to each individual and can also be impacted by a desire and commitment to change.
Getting the most out of therapy…
Active participation and dedication is crucial to therapeutic success. The work that is continued by the client between sessions is important to creating lasting change and making the most out of the session time.