Today I pose the question that some of you have been curious about, Is it time for me to go to therapy? Maybe it’s been something you’ve been rolling around in your brain space for a while. So I thought I would share my perspective on how you know if you should go to therapy. Let’s start from the beginning. What is therapy? The cookie cutter answer is it’s an opportunity for an individual to participate in self-reflection, introspection and ideally personal growth. On a deeper level, therapy is a relationship. It’s someone you go to, for a fee and talk about what’s going on for you, in your brain or in your life and everything in between. So you are probably still wondering, so how do I know if I need to go to therapy? Unfortunately I can’t answer that question for you, however I can help you arrive to your own answer.

If you have been a frequent reader of my blog you know how much I love metacognitive questions (questions that get you to think about your thinking). To help you come to your own conclusion on if you should go to therapy here are some questions I think you should ask yourself:

1. Is there something currently happening or has happened (in my past) that is negatively impacting my ability to function on a day-to-day basis?
2. Do I feel lost in a certain area of my life?
3. Are you having trouble with solving a specific problem or overcoming a hurdle in your?
4. Do you feel like you have no one to talk to about stressors or frustrations?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions may be an indicator that it’s time to see a therapist. If you are wondering if it is time for you to go to therapy, it is important to at least have some sort of idea of what you would like to accomplish, although if you aren’t sure what you want to work on that’s ok. Take your time to choose your therapist. Choosing your therapist is taking the opportunity to do a little bit of research, does that mean you interview therapist back to back in a day, no. I will speak for myself, I have a  website and profiles on the various therapy platforms that have a  detailed summary of what I offer in services. Different therapists specialize or focus on different things. There are therapists that only do trauma or anxiety or family relational issues or depression, etc. Knowing what you want to focus on in therapy will also help you figure out the right fit for you in regard to a therapist. Therapists are not like contractors where you see a lot of them, you get a bunch of quotes, and you see which ones can offer you the best price.

But Jennifer, where do I even start to find a therapist? Great question! If you have insurance you can start by going through them. They have a list of providers they cover. Now if you are alright with not using your insurance (to pay out of pocket) doing a google search is also helpful. However this route may seem overwhelming at times as there are a lot of therapists in the world. There are therapy platforms that can match you to a therapist after creating a profile through their platform. These therapy platforms allow you to use your insurance as well, if you choose.

Once you make the decision to choose a therapist and embark on your therapy journey you have to be ready and prepared for the relational aspect of therapy. Your therapist is there to support you and ask you questions. Your therapist will both validate your perspective and challenge it. Your role as the client is, if you so choose, is to be vulnerable and to share the things that you have not been wanting to or willing to share. Therapy is an opportunity to have a relationship that is free of judgement and the opportunity to truly feel like you can share anything with someone. With that being send, if you are planning to tell your therapist I plan on murdering someone or kill myself that is when the therapist has to report this to the appropriate authorities. This is something your therapist goes over with you in your first therapy session.

So I ask you after reading this blog is it time for you to go to therapy? If you feel like you are ready:

• To be vulnerable and engage in a therapeutic relationship?
• To work with someone who can hopefully make you feel better?
• To work with someone who can hopefully make you feel more confident in who you are and help you better navigate life?

If that is something you are ready for? Then it’s time to consider going to therapy. But if that is not something you feel like you need or feel like you get that from other relationships, that’s alright. Life is filled with stressors whether it be work, personal life, social media or just your internal thoughts, my hope to you is that you are finding healthy and productive ways to manage life and know there is not shame for seeking support to help you navigate it.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this post, as I’m just trying to offer a few words of wisdom in a complex world. I hope you found it helpful or maybe you are already doing all of what I suggested, and it just feels good to feel affirmed. I provide individual and family therapy as well as parent coaching. If you would like to set up a time to chat my contact information is below.

Jennifer Bailey, LCSW & RDT

jbaileytherapyservices@gmail.com

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