What kinds of issues and reasons motivate people to seek therapy? Below are reasons why people seek therapy, sometimes it is a combination of many and other times people don't know how to label what is wrong. Often times people are not happy with their thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationships. Here are some of the top reasons why people have come to see me or mental health therapy services in general.
1) You feel stuck (in a situation, pattern, feeling, hang-up, mood).
2) You don't feel good and want happiness.
3) You want to resolve a problem that has been eating you up inside (It can be a problem that stemmed from childhood or a problem that just won't go away).
4) You have exhausted all resources. You feel that you have "talked" and "talked" about your situation with the people closest to you and you fear they are getting tired of hearing about the same thing over and over again.
5) Your closet friends and family often suggest that you need to see someone for your problems.
6) You think and know that you do need to see someone for your problems or do something about your problems.
7) You have experienced a break-up, loss, or death of a loved one.
8) You are going through a major life transition (moving, changing careers, getting married, starting a family, etc).
9) You want to develop stronger SELF (self-esteem, self-confidence, assertiveness, manage your time effectively, take back control, etc).
10) You want to take better care of yourself, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually.
11) You wish to improve your relationships with people (your parents, boss, co-workers, lover, children, etc).
12) You feel that you are in constant crisis and that your world is spiraling out of control.
13) You feel that you are going "crazy" or easily get angered.
14) You fear that you are losing friends and family because of your negative mood and unhappiness.
15) You have dramatically changed your eating, sleeping and social habits.
16) You are avoiding the things you used to love and can't seem to get any pleasure in doing things you have enjoyed in the past.
17) You are in recovery.
18 You are a survivor of abuse or trauma.
19) You are suffering and in extreme emotional pain/hurts.
20) You want to feel listened to and/or you want to strengthen your voice.
I believe that the first step in seeking therapy is that YOU are motivated for it and want some kind of change. Therapy is not an easy quick-fix solution to your problems. Unfortunately there are no magic crystal balls or pills that you can take to erase or completely dissolve your feelings, thoughts and issues. But what therapy CAN do is worthwhile and can open doors of possibilities to overcome, build, relieve, cope and feel perhaps "unstuck."
