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Should I go to therapy? A complete guide

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Getting a mental therapy or counselling is not a taboo anymore.

If you are thinking about going to therapy and are unsure if it’s right for you, I recommend getting a few different opinions. It’s always a good idea to talk with people you trust who have been through the process. Your friends and family may have heard of a great therapist (or even been to one themselves) who could help you decide on whether or not therapy is right for you.

It’s also smart to look at different therapists and compare them before making your decision. The more information that we have available when making choices in our lives, the better equipped we are as consumers! But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that there is only one “right answer” when it comes down to choosing which therapist gets hired—it just means being prepared for everything that might come along with starting on this journey together. In this blog, I will take you to a complete guide that will help you decide whether you should go for therapy or not?

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Getting help from a professional psychiatrist is a smart move

It often leads to reduced stress and anxiety, improved coping skills, and a better understanding of why you react to life challenges in the way you do. And you don’t need to be severely depressed, anxious, or traumatized to benefit.

Psychotherapy can lead to positive changes that can enhance your relationships, work performance, and overall well-being. If any of these apply:

  • You are unhappy with your life’s direction or want more out of it.
  • You feel like there’s something wrong but don’t know what it is (depression).
  • You have troubling thoughts or feelings (anxiety).

Therapy can be helpful for many issues, including depression, anxiety and phobias, relationship challenges, trauma, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Therapy can help you understand what triggers your reactions to life challenges. Therapy can help you develop coping skills. Therapy can help you understand why you react to life challenges the way you do.

Want to know how to journal for mental health? Click Here

A therapist can help you identify the root cause of distress.

Therapists are trained professionals who provides a safe place to explore those issues that cause distress and help you adopt healthy behavior.

During therapy or counselling sessions, you may learn how to develop new coping skills, such as self-care or assertiveness training. A therapist can also help you develop a plan for overcoming your issues. For example, if your problem is an inability to make decisions on your own, your therapist may work with you to create a plan for how long it will take before making decisions on your own becomes easier for you.

A therapist can also help identify some of the factors that contribute to the problems causing distress (e.g., triggers). This can be helpful because many people are unaware of what their triggers are until they talk about them with someone else who knows about them well enough not only recognize but also name them appropriately (this is called “labeling” in psychology).

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Therapy sessions may not necessarily transform your life.

The goal of therapy isn’t always to solve a problem; sometimes it’s simply to feel understood and supported as you navigate through difficult times.

If you are struggling with any of the issues above or have other concerns related to your mental health and well-being, it can be helpful to talk with a therapist. Your therapist won’t be able to magically make all of your problems disappear overnight—but they may help you learn how to cope with them better in the long run.

Finding a therapist isn’t always easy. It’s important to feel comfortable with your therapist and confident in their experience. There are no specific guidelines for choosing a therapist, but if you are looking for expert help for certain problems — such as eating disorders or addiction — make sure the therapist has training in that area and ask about their personal experience treating related issues.

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Here are some things you should keep in mind when finding a good fit:

  • How long has the therapist been practicing?
  • What kind of experience does he or she have treating your particular problem?
  • Is this someone who will work well with you? Do they seem like someone you’ll be able to talk to comfortably and open up to? Does he/she seem approachable and understanding? Will they be patient while listening to everything that comes out of you? What kind of personality do they have (is it compatible with yours)? Is he/she someone who can listen well without judging what comes out of your mouth once said words hit his/her ears (because sometimes we just need somebody else’s opinion without any judgment).

Therapist can help you in numerous ways such as overcoming depression, PTSD, anxiety, or mental health issues etc. They can make you feel better. Therefore, seeking help is a smart move and one should surely try it in difficult times.

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How to Journal for Mental Health

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You may have kept a diary under your mattress when you were a teenager. It was a safe place to share your troubles and anxieties without fear of being judged or punished. Getting all of those thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper felt nice. The world appeared to be less hazy. Once you enter maturity, you may have stopped keeping a personal journal or diary. However, the concept and its advantages remain valid. It’s as simple as putting down your ideas and feelings to comprehend them better. Keeping a journal might also be beneficial if you suffer from stress, despair, or anxiety. It can assist you in gaining emotional control and improving your mental health.

We at Prestige Health and Wellness have created a list of ways to help you keep a journal.

There are many ways to keep a journal

  • Some people prefer to use a notebook and pen. They may use either lined or unlined paper, depending on the kind of thoughts they want to write down. For example, those struggling with depression might find that writing on lined paper helps them organize their thoughts more clearly and make sense of what they’re feeling. Others may prefer to write in an unlined notebook to be freer with their words and have more creative freedom when it comes time to write.
  • Other people like using computers because it’s easier for them than writing by hand, significantly since typing styles vary less than handwriting styles. Writing by hand was common for everyone because computers were not invented yet, but now most people have access to computers, so this has become the most common way people journal today. If you’re thinking about buying a notebook or computer program, make sure whatever type you decide on is something which bests suits your personality!
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Some people have success with expressive writing

Expressive writing is a form of journaling that has been shown to help people understand their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It may be helpful to try this if you have trouble understanding why you feel depressed, anxious or otherwise stressed out. 

There are a few different ways to do expressive writing:

  • Free-form writing—you can write whatever comes into your head without worrying about grammar or punctuation. You can also use this method for a structured expressive journal by writing about things like relationships with others and how they make you feel as well as your thoughts about the future.
  • The 5-Minute Journal (5MJ)—this method asks you to write down one positive thought each day for five minutes to improve your mental health over time through positive reinforcement. This method is intended not only for those suffering from depression but also for those wishing to improve their daily lives overall.

Other people find it helpful to keep a gratitude journal

This is where you write down what you’re grateful for every day or whenever you have time. This can be a great way to improve your mental health.

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You could also keep a cognitive journal

You could also keep a cognitive journal. This is where you write down your thoughts and emotions, which can help you understand how your mind works. You might find this method more accessible than my diary or bullet journal because it doesn’t require different organization, but it provides less structure.

A typical entry might look something like this:

Today I worried about: My health/work/life in general

What I did about it was: I exercised and ate healthy food, then decided to distract myself by reading the news online instead of dwelling on the problem too much!

Or you might want to keep a classic diary

If you’re the kind of person, who likes writing and is looking for a simple way to track your moods and feelings, keeping a classic diary could be helpful. You can use it to track your progress in dealing with mental health issues or simply as an outlet for your thoughts and feelings.

You may not have thought about keeping an old-fashioned paper diary before now—perhaps you associate them with being “uncool” (or maybe even “stupid”)—but they’re instrumental if you’re feeling stressed out or anxious! While modern technology like smartphones makes it easy to update our Twitter feeds whenever we feel like it, sometimes all we need is something simple that can help us process our emotions without distraction.

Journaling can be good for your mental health

Journaling is a great way to process your feelings. The act of writing can help you get in touch with your emotions and reflect on them. It’s also a healthy way to express what’s going on inside you, which can help clear up some mental fog. If there are things about yourself or the world around you that don’t make sense to you, journaling can be an opportunity for self-discovery.

If you have trouble sleeping at night (or staying awake during the day), consider giving journaling a try! Writing down thoughts and concerns before bedtime can help clear up some mental clutter so that it’s easier for sleepiness to take over.

But there are a few things to watch out for, too

First off, your journal should be private—that means no one else should read it unless you permit them. Second, don’t try to read your journal entries out loud or let anyone else read them aloud; that’s weird and makes it hard to remember what you wrote! Third and lastly: don’t write anything that could be misinterpreted as threatening (for example: “I’m going to kill him!”). And fourth: nothing related to court cases or job interviews!

It's always best to check with your doctor before starting any treatment of this kind

If you have a medical condition or are taking prescription medication, it’s essential to talk to your doctor first. They can help guide you on whether journaling is suitable for you and how many days it should be done each week.

If you are experiencing mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, then it’s essential that you also discuss this with a professional before starting with the journaling exercise. Your GP may recommend that they support the sessions through an initial consultation or even provide the therapy themselves (in some cases). 

In addition, if there are any questions about how to navigate this process safely and effectively, we suggest seeing a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders/depressive episodes, etc.

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Journaling is a great way to improve your mental health because it can help you get in touch with your feelings, identify negative thought patterns, work through problems and improve your self-esteem.

When we write things down, our brains process them differently than we think about them. When we put our thoughts on paper, they become more concrete and easier to understand. This helps us develop solutions or ideas that may not have occurred to us before we started journaling. Plus, writing helps us remember the details of what happened, so when it comes time for reflection later on down the road (which is essential), all those details won’t be lost!

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New Year, A Better Me

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When you look in the mirror, what do you see? You’ve heard of the old adage “New Year New Me.” Why do I need to become a new person? Just stop and think about that for 5 seconds. It’s bullshit- something society sells you in order to make you feel like you are missing something.  Some of us tell ourselves that who we are is not good enough. New year resolutions are like biting into a bad apple. They’re unrealistic! Many of us create new resolutions but then what happens when those new year resolutions don’t work out? What does it do to your mental health? Why make resolutions that cause you stress, anxiety, and disappointment? 2020 was such a traumatic year. However, instead of focusing on the predicament of a never ending pandemic, let us focus on restoration and rejuvenation. Let’s focus on our mental health. Let’s focus on being present in the moment, with our children and loved ones.

Why not a “New Year A better Me?” I have had a traumatic year and I have done a lot of reflection into my life with deep thoughts about my dreams, desires, and what I want to achieve. The one thing that is constant is to be a better me. Yes it is a new year, but I am still the same person. What can I do better in order to strengthen my myself emotionally, physically, and spiritually? What about practicing mindfulness, working on self-healing, or implementing activities to have a more proactive lifestyle? What can you do to help yourself get better sleep and mental clarity? What self-care activity will you implement every week in order to have a balanced life? I encourage you to focus on being the better version of the you that currently exists. Furthermore, self-love is the best love. When you open yourself up to all the possibilities that loving yourself entails, the world around you changes. Remove all the pressures and just focus on you. The world is constantly shifting. It’s time to Live again so you can thrive again!

At Prestige Health & Wellness, mental health is who we are! We are dedicated to providing compassionate quality care to improve the health of the community one person at a time.

DISCLAIMER

While we strive to always provide accurate, current, and safe advice in all of our articles and guides, it’s important to stress that they are no substitute for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider.  You should always consult a practicing professional who can diagnose your specific case.  The content we’ve included in this guide is merely meant to be informational and does not constitute medical advice. 

Written by Dr. Louisana Louis, DNP, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC