Many people ask themselves whether therapy is right for them because it can feel like an intimidating process. We completely understand this, and feel that it’s important to break down some of these barriers.

Who goes to therapy?⁠

There are many false assumptions out there that counselling is only for people who are in crisis or have a diagnosed mental health condition. As a result of these beliefs, many people hesitate to reach out because they don’t think that what they are dealing with is serious enough.

This is such a shame because pretty much ANYONE can benefit from therapy, as long as they are open and willing to try!⁠
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You do NOT need to be at rock bottom. Many individuals who are functioning well really benefit from therapy as well. For example:

• you can feel good about yourself most of the time… and also go to counselling
• you can be generally satisfied in your relationship… and also go to counselling⁠
• you can have your dream job… and also go to counselling

This is rooted in our belief that, for the most part, people want their life to be as good as it can be, and that there is always more to learn about ourselves and personal work to explore. This leads us to our next frequently asked question.

Why go to therapy?⁠

There are lots of reasons that you may want to consider counselling, but probably the most common ones would be:⁠

• to find clarity about your feelings and your next steps⁠
• to gain a fresh perspective⁠
• to learn coping strategies⁠
• to fall apart, without judgment⁠, and in a safe space
• to bolster existing supports (i.e. when friend & family support isn’t enough)⁠
• to serve as an ongoing check-in and designated self-care time⁠
• to act as a sounding board during a hard time⁠ or making important decisions
• to have a consistent anchor that they can keep returning to again and again

There are MANY other ways that a therapist can help support you, whether it’s during your darkest hour, or if you are just feeling a bit off track.

When is the best time to go to therapy?

As you have probably pieced together from this article so far, counselling is really for anyone, at any time. That said, here are a few situations where therapy may be most beneficial:

• during a difficult period in your life, like after a break-up/divorce, losing a job, losing a loved one, relationship challenges
• during a time of transition, such as a move, getting married or having a baby, or a career change
• as a preventative step, in anticipation of a challenging time, such as before getting married, having a baby, or returning to work
• anytime that you feel lost, directionless, unmotivated, overwhelmed anxious, or depressed
• anytime that you find yourself behaving in ways that are not in line with your values, or not with integrity
• when you feel that you have maxed out the support of friends and family

We hope that you can see that therapy can really help in a variety of different ways, and at different points in your life.

We know that it can be intimidating, but many clients described after their first session, “wow, that felt good to get all of that off my chest” or “I wish I did this sooner”.

Let’s normalize the role that counselling can play as part of our overall wellness. We encourage you to connect with us if you have any questions about the process, or if you are ready to get started, you can book online here. One of our skilled therapists will be happy to help with whatever life has thrown your way.

And, if you aren’t ready to see a counsellor, there are also some great self-help options. For example, our therapists have developed The Lifted Life Workbook, a self-help guide to get you unstuck. This covers foundational exercises that we often explore in therapy, and will help you to jumpstart your goals. It is a great option for those who aren’t quite sure about counselling.