Is Mental Health Counseling Right for Me?
The short answer is: I don’t even know you but…
YES.
Need more reasoning? Read on….
I know, ‘mental health counseling’ sounds like something that someone who is ‘really messed up’ needs. In my [professional] opinion, I feel that we are all given a great disservice growing up and going to school and NOT learning the basics regarding how to approach and handle anxiety and depression. It is not rocket science- it can be simple enough for all of us to understand when taught well by a professional, and very necessary for a healthy and fruitful life.
Here is a troubling statistic for you: Every year, 20% of the US population suffers from an anxiety DISORDER - not just symptoms of ‘anxiety’ - so you can only imagine how many people struggle with anxiety symptoms. Since anxiety symptoms alone can significantly interfere with your life and almost always have an impact on your day to day choices and lifelong achievements, wouldn’t you want to learn a little more about it? If you could learn how to relate to it in a way that it doesn’t have to impact your life so much, would that be worth seeing a professional to learn more about it- even if for just a few sessions?
Going to therapy with a licensed mental health therapist may be one of the best things that you can invest in for yourself.
Ideally you don’t just go to the doctor when you are sick, you also go annually for ‘check ups’ and to learn more about your unique physical self and what you need to do to keep yourself healthy, and you also get in touch when something isn’t feeling right. It is the healthy, proactive thing to do. Most people have a doctor, or a preferred local clinic, on hand in the case that they need to see one.
The same goes with mental health counseling- you go to learn about your unique mind, develop an understanding of your moods, thoughts, and anxiety, and learn healthy ways to manage it- whether you have a family history of mental illness, whether you have been diagnosed with a mental illness and take medication, or whether you just know that you struggle with self defeating and stressful thoughts often, and have sabotaged your way out of things that matter to you.
Emotional health is closely tied into physical health and life success, so it is something you want to keep in check.
Even if you don’t think you have any problems at all- talking to a therapist, or having one on hand that knows you well- is invaluable because you never know when something might come up. The search for a therapist that you connect with can be exhausting, and building up that trust can take some time. You don’t want to wait until you are desperate and in crisis, where you will likely be bounced around and misunderstood.
If you are wondering if you are struggling with symptoms of anxiety, ocd, depression, or bipolar disorder, you can read more about these conditions on my website.
If you are interested in having a free phone consultation with me to see if we would be a good fit, please don't hesitate to reach out and schedule one!
Sena Moran, LMHC