When should I go to therapy?

Often, we think that therapy is useful only when we are at our lowest point with our mental health or we are at breaking point, and while it is important to access mental health services if our mental health has significantly declined, there are also many other reasons for which we may benefit from starting therapy.

Therapy can be useful for anyone who:

• Has recently experienced a significant stressful event

• Has had a significant or sudden change in their circumstances

• Is feeling stressed and overwhelmed

• Is feeling burnt out

• Is curious about therapy and would like to learn more about themselves

• Would like to learn ways to manage emotions/stress/big feelings when they come along

• Has experienced loss

• Would like to improve communication in their relationships

• Is struggling with feeling low, unmotivated or hopeless

• Is experiencing anxiety

• Is struggling with an addiction or addictive/compulsive behaviour

Therapy can be useful for so many people for so many different reasons. We shouldn’t have to wait for a bad thing to happen or to feel significant distress before we reach out. Therapy can very much be used for prevention as well as treatment.

In fact, if we use therapy as a preventative tool for our mental health, we may have a greater capacity to not only build insight but also make meaningful change in our lives.