How do you know if you should seek professional therapy?
People seek therapists for many reasons. Sometimes you want someone to talk to and validate your feelings. If you are battling with such feelings as being overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or loneliness, or if you are struggling with such thoughts as wanting to disappear, wishing someone would save you, or wishing people would leave you alone, I highly recommend either individual therapy and/or group therapy. Working with a therapist is a great source of support that could help you overcome these challenges and rebuild your self-esteem.
What about couples counseling?
Help improve communication between the two of you. It’s important that you feel heard, but true feelings often get masked by hurtful words and actions. A therapist would help the couple filter through all those unnecessary words; as a result, exposing the real problems and concerns. Being in a relationship requires a lot of work, and gaining a new perspective from a neutral source could help bring things back into perspective.
How do parents know their teen or child could benefit from therapy?
Teens and children may find it hard to ask for help. I suggest asking them first if they’d like to talk to someone and reassuring them that it’s ok. I will not force therapy on a teen or child if they are resistant to the idea. Let them know that it’s always an option if they were to change their mind. This gives them the power and control to take the next step if that’s what they need, and therapy remains a positive resource rather than it becoming a negative one. If a child wants to attend, therapy will be beneficial for them because just the act of attending therapy and learning how to talk about their feelings freely is a wonderful skill to master in life.
