How Do I Know When It’s Time To Get Professional Help?
The truth is, all of us could use some counseling or therapy at some point in our lives. It just feels so comforting to us to have the experience of someone really “getting it.” We need an empathic and objective observer; someone who will tell us the truth and affirm us. We want to know that we are not alone and not crazy. It is so easy to feel isolated in this culture of ours.
So, how do we know when the time has come to find a counselor/therapist?
There are so many signals and so many reasons. Maybe life feels out of control and you are overwhelmed by anxiety and worry. Perhaps you are not where you thought you would be at this stage of life. You don’t feel motivated to do all the things you should be doing. I feel lost and alone. I don’t know what I value. You can’t let go of control. You are avoiding stuff. How do I navigate life as a parent? My relationship is not working like I thought it would; we want different things and we fight a lot. You’ve lost someone. I’m so hurt. You’re afraid. Why do I feel so sad? You’re angry. You stuff your emotions and then explode. My emotions feel really big and powerful and I can’t seem to calm myself down and stay in charge of what I say and do. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what I want in life. I know what I want, but I feel powerless to make it happen. You are self-critical; your own worst enemy. Shame overwhelms us. Life overwhelms us. We need to learn to cope, let go, accept, forgive, heal, move forward, and discover peace and maybe a little joy.
And there are many other reasons that people seek therapy.
Once upon a time, seeing a psychotherapist (then called an Analyst) was in vogue for the wealthy. Then, as the therapy world changed, counseling carried with it a lot of secrecy and shame – for the wealthy and for everyone else. I can do it on my own; solve my own problems. We don’t need a therapist butting into our lives! If others knew I was seeking help from a professional… well, what would they think? I’m so weak for having to pay for help; I should be able to do it on my own. In the last couple of decades, therapy and counseling have become much more acceptable and accessible. People, again, are happy to share that they are in therapy or have seen a counselor. This is good news!
There are so many good helping professionals in our city: Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists and Psychiatrists, along with any number of supporting professionals in the mental health community. And we are all here to support each other and the clients we serve.
Foundations Family Counseling is a truly gifted group of practicing professionals in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. We truly want what is best for our clients and we have clinicians on our team who are able to work with all of the issues listed above, and more. In the first session, you will get the sense that we really get you, we understand where you want to go, and we know how to help you get there. And if we are not the right fit for you, we happily refer to a number of other mental health professionals out there in the Denver counseling community. Because, the truth is, we are not the only good clinicians out there! And we want to help you find the best!
So, if anything in this blog resonates with you, take the first step. Call us at 303-393-0085 or email us at foundationsfamilycounseling1@gmail.com and we will get you on the right track for getting where you want to go. We can help you learn to cope, let go, accept, forgive, heal, move forward, and discover peace and maybe a little joy.
~~ Clinton J. Nunnally, LPC
