Have you been considering therapy but you're held back with indecisiveness? Have you been wondering “How is talk therapy going to help me?”, “I’m strong enough, I can handle this on my own” or have you said to yourself, “I can just talk to my friends”?

It is very important for you to know that indecisiveness about therapy is very common, especially not knowing what to expect if you have never been to therapy before. Taking the next step towards pursuing therapy could be stigmatizing and anxiety provoking, but let me tell you, it is the most courageous thing you will ever do. Therapy is a useful tool for anybody at any time regardless of how life has been going for you. It helps you learn about what you’re feeling, why you might be feeling it, and how to cope with what you're feeling..

Therapy offers a safe place to process life challenges, adverse experiences, interpersonal conflicts, grief and loss, familial struggles, breakups, parenting difficulties, and so much more.

The American Psychological Association suggests considering psychotherapy when something causes distress and interferes with some part of your daily life. For instance:

1. If you are thinking about an issue that takes up at least an hour each day.
2. If the issue causes embarrassment or makes you want to avoid people.
3. If the issue has caused your physical health to deteriorate and your quality of life to decrease.
4. If the issue has negatively impacted your work, academic performance, or relationships.
5. If you’ve tried to make changes in your life and developed negative habits to cope with the issue.

Here are some examples of how psychological distress and unpleasant emotions could impede your day-to-day life, therapy could help you navigate their effects.

Fatigue. You might feel tired all the time for no reason and find yourself sleeping excessively, struggling to fall asleep, or having trouble getting out of bed every morning. 

Traumatic incidents. Have you been exposed to a life-threatening situation (e.g., car accident, home invasion, etc.) that caused you to start experiencing intense or prolonged psychological distress?

Disproportionate rage, anger, or resentment. Everyone experiences anger in different ways, and occasionally passing rage isn’t necessarily harmful. However, if feeling enraged happens more often than not and is seemingly disproportionate to the situation, it might be time to seek support from an expert therapist to regulate your feelings. 

Agoraphobia. You might feel trapped in public places and experience panic attacks. You become unable to leave your house for days at a time and feel isolated.

Anxious or intrusive thoughts. It’s normal to worry about things from time-to-time, but when worry takes up a significant part of your day or causes physical symptoms (e.g. sweating, accelerated heartbeat, nausea, GI problems, headaches, dizziness, etc.), therapy can help you deal with it.

Apathy. Losing interest in usual activities, the world around you, or life in general can indicate mental health challenges (e.g., depression or anxiety).

Hopelessness. Losing hope or motivation, or feeling as if your life is useless, can indicate depression or another mental health condition. Feeling hopeless from time-to-time, especially after a period of difficulty, isn’t uncommon. But when it persists, it may lead to depleting feelings.

Social withdrawal. Many people feel better when they’re able to spend a little bit of time alone. Introverted people may need even more time alone than others. But if you feel distressed around others or fear being with other people, therapy can help you understand and deal with these feelings.