How to know if you’re ready for therapy.
If you’re already at the point of finding our website, finding this blog, and then finding this blog post… you’re probably ready to start exploring therapy. At least get a feel for therapy if you have no experience with it. But, if you’re still unsure, in this short post, I will ask you a few questions!
Have you not felt “normal” in a while?
Now, this is a hard question or feeling to quantify. Not feeling “normal” is a subjective experience that once you feel it, you know what I am talking about. It is feeling as if things aren’t as colorful as they were… if you’re not laughing the way that you used to… you can’t enjoy things like you once did… your relationship is not as connected as it once was… or you’re struggling to find your place in the world. While you don’t necessarily need therapy if you don’t feel “normal” if it is disrupting your life, it’s probably a good time to ask a therapist who can help.
Your mood is disrupting life
If your mood is starting to interrupt your functioning in life (job, relationship, social, hobbies, etc) it can be a good time to learn some skills. If you have no previous coping skill knowledge or you tried learning coping skills online on your own but it is not clicking, it may be time to start therapy. The difficult thing about moods disrupting your life is that they can snowball pretty quickly.
Example: I am sad and unfocused all the time. I go to work, I can’t focus on my job. I start making more errors. I get reprimanded by my boss. I feel worse because I got in trouble.
Then, it continues. It can be the same with feeling anxious and social impairment. Anything that is starting to significantly disrupt your life, it may be time to start therapy.
Trauma
If you have experienced a traumatic event in your life, it is a very good idea to go to therapy. Trauma can have a major impact on your life. It can disrupt all aspects and mimic other disorders such as mood swings, ADHD, depression, anxiety, night terrors, and more.
Even if it is for a brief period, it can help. Trauma sticks with you and your body for a very long time. If you struggle with processing and coping with trauma, it likely won’t get easier for you as life goes on.
You’re ready to put in the work
Therapy isn’t necessarily complicated but it can be hard. It is effective only if you put in the work. If you’re not ready to put in the work outside of the 45-1hr sessions, therapy isn’t right for you right now. If you’re not ready to show up consistently, therapy isn’t right for you right now. If you’re looking for a quick fix, therapy isn’t right for you right now. Therapy doesn’t need to be a long process but there’s no instant fix.
In conclusion, if you’re at this point and still reading, you probably are interested in therapy. It can be hard to make that first step into therapy but it can be life-changing.
We offer a free 15-minute meeting to answer your questions regarding therapy and can personalize the discussion to identify your goals and if you’re ready for therapy.
