Perhaps there has been a time when you…
- wished you had a best friend who was available to listen to something you were upset about
- had a secret which was bothering you and you didn’t feel you could tell anyone
- you felt so depressed, anxious, worried or upset over something that you felt sick or like dying
- just needed reassurance or answers to questions you were confused about
We have all felt like this at one time or another. This is when it would be a good time to find someone to talk with who is a trained counselor or therapist.
There are many forms of therapy but they all embrace the process of changing for the better. Therapists want to increase their clients’ sense of well-being by helping them understand their thoughts and feelings in relationship to a problem. This increased understanding enhances self-awareness and life skills with an emphasis on developing new ways to cope with daily stressors.
Therapy is a relationship built on trust that grows over time. It is an ongoing commitment to improve emotional and physical health. Therapy is not an invasion of privacy because you only share what you choose but the more honest you are the quicker therapy progresses and the sooner you will feel better. Some people are afraid that they are “crazy” and will be “locked up” if they come in to talk with someone. Therapists are taught knowledge and skills that are designed to keep people out of hospitals as no one wants to be in a hospital unless there is no other answer.
Therapy is for everyone, from childhood until death, no matter how big or how small the problem. There is always more we can learn about ourselves that can help us feel happier and stay healthier longer.