What’s New

Making the decision to seek therapy isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve never had an experience with therapy and don’t know what to expect. Sometimes people think of seeking therapy as a sign of weakness – but in fact, it’s a sign of strength, because you’ve made a proactive decision to prioritize your own needs and improve your quality of life. Think of it as “deserving” therapy, not “needing” it. Almost everybody can benefit from therapy at some point in their lives.

When to seek therapy

Obviously, when someone is having thoughts of death or suicide, that’s a crisis — it’s time to seek immediate help. But many people seek therapy for more ordinary mental health problems that are interfering with their quality of life. Sometimes the reason a person seeks therapy is a life challenge like a breakup, loss of a job, family difficulties, or grief – or it could simply be the combined stressors of daily life.

Here are a few signs that therapy could benefit you.

• A diagnosis of a mental health problem. Therapy will help if you have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder such as clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Significant change in daily mood. Everyone has periods of feeling down. But you might benefit from therapy if these episodes are extended, or your sleeping pattern is disturbed.
• A general feeling of struggling. Therapy can help anyone who is feeling overwhelmed, even if they’re not in significant emotional distress.
• Withdrawal from activities and people. Isolating yourself from activities and people you enjoy can be a sign of depression.
• Substance use. Therapy can help people who struggle with substance use, as well as people who are not clinically addicted but find themselves turning to alcohol, drugs, or behaviors like eating too much to feel better or cope.
• Anxiety. If you find that anxiety or intrusive thoughts are consistently keeping you up at night or cause physical symptoms, or that you’re constantly expecting the worst to happen, a therapist can help.
• Loss. Grieving the loss of a loved one, a marriage, a job, or anything that’s important to you is hard work, and it can help to have the support of a therapist. Multiple losses over a short period of time can be especially hard to work through on your own.
• Trauma. Traumas can be associated with a single incident – such as a crime, accident, or violence – or something that happened over a long period of time, such as emotional or physical abuse. Qualified therapists can help you work through trauma so that it is not a source of near-constant distress.
• Disproportionate anger or resentment. Anger is often a reasonable reaction, and expressing anger can be healthy. But if you lose your temper frequently, angry feelings don’t subside, or find that you are often angry out of proportion to the situation, therapy can help you cope with these emotions.
• A specific goal that’s related to mental health. Sometimes people seek therapy not because they are in acute distress, but because they have a personal goal that’s related to mental health – such as breaking a bad habit, overcoming a phobia, developing better relationships with family members, dealing with social anxiety, or improving self-esteem.

What to expect from therapy

Many people take a while to seek therapy. Admitting they would like help is challenging for some, while others find the idea of being vulnerable by reliving trauma and/or sharing intimate details about their lives a bit daunting. Therapy isn’t a quick fix, and it requires a good deal of emotional work. But most people find that once they commit to the process, therapy helps them to achieve a better quality of life – sometimes faster than they thought possible.

Some people think a therapist will tell them how to solve their problems, or what they should do. Instead, therapists act as guides to help you find your own way through the problems. Therapy is personalized, and you have a say in how your therapy works. Remember that your therapist acts as your cheerleader, but you are the quarterback moving the ball down the field – you are in control.

Your first session with a therapist is like an initial consultation for any project – you’ll meet and go over the “scope of work” in general terms. You may feel a little nervous, but trained therapists are good at meeting people where they are. Your therapist will ask what brings you to therapy, and will explain their style of therapy and give you a chance to ask questions. You’ll probably find that you gain trust in your therapist over your first few sessions, and begin to feel comfortable sharing with them as you develop a good working relationship. If not, though, your therapist may not be a good “fit” for you, and it might be worth meeting another.

How long therapy might take depends entirely on your own situation. You’ll talk about your feelings, but you’ll also learn to change your behaviors. Your therapist might assign “homework,” or things to work on between therapy sessions. Assignments could include journaling, or engaging in specific behaviors designed to help you make progress – for example, if you are trying to overcome social anxiety, an assignment could be going out with a friend.

Progress is typically gradual, rather than immediate – you might experience a “breakthrough moment” or two, but it’s more likely that your emotional outlook will improve bit by bit over time. Many people find that they make significant progress in just a few sessions. What constitutes progress for you depends on your individual situation and the reasons you sought therapy. But generally speaking, indicators you’re making progress in therapy include improved moods and behaviors, better relationships, and more life satisfaction overall.

How to get started

Getting started with therapy is simple — just get in touch with Westmont Family Counseling Ministries at 814-536-0798, or email for an appointment.