Making the Decision to Seek Therapy

Deciding whether or not to seek therapy is an important decision. Ask yourself some questions before embarking on your mental health journey.

A lot of people may not know much about therapy. One question I hear frequently is“Isn’t it the same as just talking to a friend?” or statements like “I have a lot of people I can talk to about my problems. I don’t need a therapist.”

But the reality is talking to a therapist is not just like talking to a friend or family member. First of all, when was the last time a friend or a family member gave you an unbiased opinion? For starters, therapists are a neutral and unbiased party. But most importantly one thing that some don’t understand is that therapy is a process and can take time.

Before you decide to seek therapy, you might want to know more about the process. Although every therapist is different and has their own style, it's important to know that there is a basic process to therapy despite the modality, style or speciality.

First coming into contact with a therapist is usually a consult call. During this call you will get to know a little about the therapist and can ask them questions as well.

After you have decided together that you are a good fit for therapy, you will be scheduled for an initial session. In this session, the therapist will assess your problem. They will ask you questions to define your issues, go over your symptoms, struggles, and the reasons you want to seek therapy.

Your therapist will help you decide on what you want to work on therapy, and together you will decide on what your goals are. From the first session on, you will work on those goals for treatment. Once in a while, a therapist will revisit your goals, check progress and see if you either need new goals or continue to work on those you already established in the beginning.

Progress in therapy takes time, and knowing it's a process can set up healthy expectations for you as a client. Before taking a dive into choosing a therapist, you may want to ask the following questions:

What am I seeking therapy for?

It's important to ask yourself what it is that you are seeking therapy for. Do you struggle with relationships? Are you having a hard time coping with feelings of depression? Are you feeling stressed out at your job and need some support? Knowing and defining the problem, can help lead toward goals of what you want to work on.

What do I want out of therapy?

Once you know what you are struggling with, it might be easier to set a goal for treatment. If you are struggling with relationships, do you want to maybe work through conflict or learn better ways to communicate? Do you want more relief from the feelings of depression? Do you want support on how to manage stress?

If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want from therapy, but you just know you need therapy, it’s okay. Through a consult call and an initial session, the therapist can help you identify what you may need.

What do I want my therapist to know about me?

It’s important to remember that the more the therapist knows about you and your struggles, it might be easier to define a problem and create a goal. First sessions can be weird and awkward, and creating a good therapist client relationship can take some time. Going into therapy requires somewhat of an open mind and trust in the process. But the more open you are, you might find a smoother start to your mental health journey.