Everyone experiences periods of struggle, stress, sadness, grief and conflict. So when you’re feeling ‘off’, it can be hard to know when it’s time to see a professional.
There is often a belief that people need to be ‘really bad’ with their mental health to see a therapist, but that simply isn’t true! Many people come along to see one of our psychologists or social workers to be proactive with their mental and emotional health. We know that the earlier someone gets help, the easier it is to get through life’s difficulties.
Tell tale signs you need therapy
Here are some signs that you (or your child/teen) should see a mental health professional:
• You feel like you can’t manage the problem anymore without help
• You feel like you need more coping strategies then you have currently
• You’re struggling with intense emotions
• A big life change has happened and you’re struggling with it
• You don’t feel like you have other people to talk to
• You’ve been through something traumatic and can’t move past it
• You’re using substances or unhealthy behaviours and are worried about it
• You can’t seem to communicate well with loved ones or colleagues
• You don’t enjoy things like you used to
• You’re consistently sick and run down
• People have suggested you need some help
How long do you need to see a therapist for?
People are often worried that starting therapy means they’ll be stuck attending for a long time. But in reality, some only need a few sessions to help with their problems, some attend for a longer period, and a small amount of people use therapy as an anchor of support to help them throughout their lives.