How to know if you need therapy

If you’ve ever wondered if you need therapy, here are some signs that you may benefit from speaking to a psychologist.

Many people think therapy is for times of crisis, when something has gone really wrong or life is feeling totally unmanageable. In reality, it can be helpful before this point. In the same way you may use a personal trainer to support your physical health, therapy can help support your wellbeing, improve self-understanding and prevent reaching breaking point.

1.       You’re going through a major life change

People often seek therapy when navigating a change in their life – this may be in their career or job, relationship changes or breakups, moving to a new place. These changes may not necessarily be stressful or negative but therapy can be useful to support and process these transitions in a supportive, non-judgmental space that makes them easier to navigate.

2.       You’re hard on yourself

A lot of us carry a very strong inner critic. We live in a world of pressure to achieve, do more and be as successful as possible. People often notice they constantly set high standards for themselves, experience constant self-doubt or feel they are not good enough. In some ways, the inner critic can help drive you to your goals, pushing you to do more and aim higher. Eventually, this comes at a cost to your wellbeing and sometimes to relationships. You are left feeling burnt out and like a failure. Therapy can help you to develop a more balanced and compassionate relationship with yourself.

3.       Relationships feel difficult

Maybe you notice recurring disagreements with a partner, frequent conflicts with colleagues or friends or feel disconnected from people you care about. Therapy can help you to understand what may be going on in these relationships and through this understanding, identify ways to improve communication and connection.

4.       You feel stuck in the same patterns

People sometimes describe a sense that similar patterns or difficulties keep showing up. Maybe you keep trying to change habits but can’t maintain progress. Or you feel that although you look like you’re coping outwardly, you feel something is missing and that you are just surviving rather than truly enjoying your life. Therapy can help uncover underlying patterns driving this in order to respond differently.

5.       Your emotions feel a lot

Emotions are important and helpful but some people can notice they feel hard to manage at times. Perhaps you experience persistent anxiety or worry, noticing lots of thoughts all the time that tend to focus on the worst case scenario. You may feel low or emotionally flat. Perhaps your moods change a lot and overall feel hard to manage. Or you feel like you avoid feeling the difficult emotions so try to block out or push down feelings. Therapy offers a space to understand your emotions and develop healthier ways of coping with them.

6.       You want to understand yourself better

Many people come to therapy simply because they want to build greater self-awareness. This can involve understanding themselves and what has influenced them to think or approach things in the way they do. It may be that people want space to clarify what is truly important to them and their goals, to align with their values and connect to a life that is truly meaningful. This may not be related to any particular ‘problem’, instead, therapy can be a powerful space for reflection and personal growth.

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy.

If something in your life feels difficult or confusing or you simply want space to explore and understand yourself, you may benefit from therapy and talking to a trained professional. Seeking support is a sign of courage and self-care.

If you're considering therapy and would like to learn more about how I work, feel free to get in touch to book an initial free consultation via my contact page.