How can
therapy help
me?
A number of
benefits are
available
from
participating
in therapy.
Therapists
can provide
support,
problem-solving
skills, and
enhanced
coping
strategies
for issues
such as
depression,
anxiety,
relationship
troubles,
unresolved
childhood
issues,
grief,
stress
management,
body image
issues and
creative
blocks. Many
people also
find that
counselors
can be a
tremendous
asset to
managing
personal
growth,
interpersonal
relationships,
family
concerns,
marriage
issues, and
the hassles
of daily
life.
Therapists
can provide
a fresh
perspective
on a
difficult
problem or
point you in
the
direction of
a solution.
The benefits
you obtain
from
therapy
depend on
how well you
use the
process and
put into
practice
what you
learn. Some
of the
benefits
available
from therapy
include:
-
Attaining a
better
understanding
of yourself,
your goals
and values
-
Developing
skills for
improving
your
relationships
-
Finding
resolution
to the
issues or
concerns
that led you
to seek
therapy
-
Learning new
ways to cope
with stress
and anxiety
-
Managing
anger,
grief,
depression,
and other
emotional
pressures
-
Improving
communications
and
listening
skills
-
Changing old
behavior
patterns and
developing
new ones
-
Discovering
new ways to
solve
problems in
your family
or marriage
-
Improving
your
self-esteem
and boosting
self-confidence
Do I
really
need
therapy?
I can
usually
handle
my
problems.
Everyone
goes
through
challenging
situations
in life,
and
while
you may
have
successfully
navigated
through
other
difficulties
you've
faced,
there's
nothing
wrong
with
seeking
out
extra
support
when you
need it.
In fact,
therapy
is for
people
who have
enough
self-awareness
to
realize
they
need a
helping
hand,
and that
is
something
to be
admired.
You are
taking
responsibility
by
accepting
where
you're
at in
life and
making a
commitment
to
change
the
situation
by
seeking
therapy.
Therapy
provides
long-lasting
benefits
and
support,
giving
you the
tools
you need
to avoid
triggers,
re-direct
damaging
patterns,
and
overcome
whatever
challenges
you
face.
Why do
people go to
therapy and
how do I
know if it
is right for
me?
People
have
many
different
motivations
for
coming
to
psychotherapy.
Some may
be going
through
a major
life
transition
(unemployment,
divorce,
new job,
etc.),
or are
not
handling
stressful
circumstances
well.
Some
people
need
assistance
managing
a range
of other
issues
such as
low
self-esteem,
depression,
anxiety,
addictions,
relationship
problems,
spiritual
conflicts
and
creative
blocks.
Therapy
can help
provide
some
much
needed
encouragement
and help
with
skills
to get
them
through
these
periods.
Others
may be
at a
point
where
they are
ready to
learn
more
about
themselves
or want
to be
more
effective
with
their
goals in
life. In
short,
people
seeking
psychotherapy
are
ready to
meet the
challenges
in their
lives
and
ready to
make
changes
in their
lives.
What is
therapy
like?
Because each
person has
different
issues and
goals for
therapy,
therapy will
be different
depending on
the
individual.
In general,
you can
expect to
discuss the
current
events
happening in
your life,
your
personal
history
relevant to
your issue,
and report
progress (or
any new
insights
gained) from
the previous
therapy
session.
Depending on
your
specific
needs,
therapy can
be
short-term,
for a
specific
issue, or
longer-term,
to deal with
more
difficult
patterns or
your desire
for more
personal
development.
Either way,
it is most
common to
schedule
regular
sessions
with your
therapist
(usually
weekly).
It is
important to
understand
that you
will get
more results
from therapy
if you
actively
participate
in the
process. The
ultimate
purpose of
therapy is
to help you
bring what
you learn in
session back
into your
life.
Therefore,
beyond the
work you do
in therapy
sessions,
your
therapist
may suggest
some things
you can do
outside of
therapy to
support your
process -
such as
reading a
pertinent
book,
journaling
on specific
topics,
noting
particular
behaviors or
taking
action on
your goals.
People
seeking
psychotherapy
are ready to
make
positive
changes in
their lives,
are open to
new
perspectives
and take
responsibility
for their
lives.
What about
medication
vs.
psychotherapy?
It is well
established
that the
long-term
solution to
mental and
emotional
problems and
the pain
they cause
cannot be
solved
solely by
medication.
Instead of
just
treating the
symptom,
therapy
addresses
the cause of
our distress
and the
behavior
patterns
that curb
our
progress.
You can best
achieve
sustainable
growth and a
greater
sense of
well-being
with an
integrative
approach to
wellness.
Working with
your medical
doctor you
can
determine
what's best
for you, and
in some
cases a
combination
of
medication
and therapy
is the right
course of
action.
Do you take
insurance,
and how does
that work?
To determine
if you have
mental
health
coverage
through your
insurance
carrier, the
first thing
you should
do is call
them. Check
your
coverage
carefully
and make
sure you
understand
their
answers.
Some helpful
questions
you can ask
them:
-
What are my
mental
health
benefits?
-
What is the
coverage
amount per
therapy
session?
-
How many
therapy
sessions
does my plan
cover?
-
How much
does my
insurance
pay for an
out-of-network
provider?
-
Is approval
required
from my
primary care
physician?
Does what we
talk about
in therapy
remain
confidential?
Confidentiality
is one of
the most
important
components
between a
client and
psychotherapist.
Successful
therapy
requires a
high degree
of trust
with highly
sensitive
subject
matter that
is usually
not
discussed
anywhere but
the
therapist's
office.
Every
therapist
should
provide a
written copy
of their
confidential
disclosure
agreement,
and you can
expect that
what you
discuss in
session will
not be
shared with
anyone. This
is called
“Informed
Consent”.
Sometimes,
however, you
may want
your
therapist to
share
information
or give an
update to
someone on
your
healthcare
team (your
Physician,
Naturopath,
Attorney),
but by law
your
therapist
cannot
release this
information
without
obtaining
your written
permission.
However,
state law
and
professional
ethics
require
therapists
to maintain
confidentiality
except for
the
following
situations:
* Suspected
past or
present
abuse or
neglect of
children,
adults, and
elders to
the
authorities,
including
Child
Protection
and law
enforcement,
based on
information
provided by
the client
or
collateral
sources.
* If the
therapist
has reason
to suspect
the client
is seriously
in danger of
harming
him/herself
or has
threated to
harm another
person.
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