Updated on 3/2/21
Starting therapy can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t feel ready. When life goes wrong, it’s hard to imagine piling on another stressful task. On the other hand, when life goes well, it’s easy to put therapy off. As atherapist, I see first hand the benefits of clients starting before they maybe feel completely ready. Here’s why you should start, even if you’re not quite ready to face your demons.
4 Common Fears About Therapy
Apprehension is common when starting therapy. Although every client is different, there are somecommon themes that come up when someone doesn’t want to start therapy. Below are four common worries about beginning the therapy process.
1.You’re afraid of pain
No one enjoys rehashing old wounds. Usually, avoiding discomfort helps us survive, but sometimes temporary discomfort is better in the long run. For example, it’s not much fun to get a shot, but we do it because we know it’s good for us in the end.
2.You’re anticipating judgment
Navigating social status is an integral part of human interaction, so we get nervous when others disapprove of us. Many people worry a therapist will judge them for what they share, or that their families will judge them for going to a therapist. The stigma around mental health has been decreasing, but depending on where you live, some may face greater barriers to care than others.
3.You’re nervous about making things worse
4.You don’t feel ready for change
That old saying, “the devil you know is better than the one you don’t” applies here. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to face a negative, but familiar, situation than to face the unknown. Avoiding the unfamiliar is a normal survival mechanism, but not always the best plan. We tend to think it’s in our best interest to choose what we can anticipate and plan for than when we don’t know what to expect.
Benefits of Therapy, Even When You Don’t Feel Ready
When you’re ready for therapy it can help with big moments like trauma, abuse, and anxiety, but it can also help with goal setting and self-acceptance. When you don’t feel as ready for therapy, it can still be incredibly productive for working through issues like:
How to Start Therapy When You’re Not Quite Ready
If you’ve decided to make an appointment but still feel unprepared and anxious about therapy, you can tell the therapist about those feelings. A therapist won’t be offended if you admit you’re ambivalent about or even afraid of talking to them. It’s a common reaction and we know how to help you through it.
While therapy can be an intimidating and nerve-wracking to some, people usually people feel much more comfortable once they get started. Therapists don’t just pick apart your pain, they’re equally interested in what’s going well. This means not every moment is miserable; even starting with small stuff boosts confidence and reduces stress. Like most anything, sometimes the hardest part of therapy is justgetting started.
If you’re ready to take the first leap, you can start online therapy, today.Here’s what to expect.
Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.
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