When we experience difficulties that do not seem to get easier by our current strategies, we may wonder if therapy could help. We weigh and the pros and cons and are often pulled in one direction and then another, not knowing what is the right decision to make.
These are a few ideas to reflect on when considering getting professional help.
Therapy has been shown to help the clients:
- Accomplish better management of anxiety, depression, anger, or other challenging emotions. These feelings may be due to current stress caused by unemployment, personal loss, illness, etc., or early traumatic events.
- Address challenges in their relationships, such as marital stress, family crisis, and parent-child conflicts, which may have left them feeling lonely, angry or resentful.
- Develop increased self—esteem and self—confidence.
- Attain a better knowledge of themselves. This might involve safely revisiting early life events to be utilized as catalysts for growth and self-awareness.
- Acquire skills that empower them to reach life goals.
It can be difficult to speak openly about our personal challenges. In some ways, therapy is a leap of faith. Change can be scary, and it is appealing to avoid addressing our painful issues.
We frequently try to run from the pain, numbing ourselves by keeping busy, abusing substances, eating too much and utilizing other avoidance strategies. This often results in depression, anxiety and a life that lacks direction.
A commitment to positive change calls for courage to do the required inner work, often needed to clarify and actualize our dreams and goals. It gives voice voice to our unique, personal character and needs, and helps us achieve a purposeful, fulfilled life.
The modalities that I'm trained in and use mostly are: