Is it Time to Start Individual Therapy? Recognizing the Signs

Are you going through a difficult period in your life and starting to wonder if it’s time to try therapy? How are you supposed to know if it's the right moment, if you’re ready, or what this whole therapy thing is about anyway? This happens to so many people! Even just thinking about counselling can feel intimidating, confusing, and like it’s too big of a decision to make.

Therapy is one of the few places in life where you get to focus entirely on you—your thoughts, your emotions, your story—without judgment or unsolicited advice. Therapy has been shown to help people manage and recover from multiple different mental health concerns (Hunsley, Elliott, & Therrien, 2013). It’s also something that can help people who are just having a hard time and need a bit of support. Ultimately, it’s an act of self-respect and an investment in your wellbeing.

If you’re thinking about therapy, chances are it’s already the right time to explore it. You don’t need to wait until things get worse, and you don’t have to figure everything out on your own!

Signs it Might be a Good Time to Start Therapy:

1. Feeling overwhelmed by your emotions or experiencing chronic negative emotions

   
   

   Emotions are an important part of life and it’s normal to have strong ones every once in a while. Even strong negative feelings can bring meaning and beauty into our life; feelings of sadness and grief can show us how important a loss was for us. Anxiety can be a cue to keep ourselves alert and make good choices; anger and frustration can be a natural and healthy response to injustice and are often a driving force in demanding positive change.

   
   

   But if difficult emotions are something you are struggling with regularly or you feel like they’ve taken over and will never go away, counselling might be the right next step for you. Sometimes, it can feel like your emotions are out of your control, or you might not be sure why you’re feeling the things you’re feeling. Talking to someone can help untangle what you’re feeling and why, and help you figure out how to move forward, or find a better balance. You should never feel stuck in any negative emotions, or feel like you’re not able to cope with them. No one deserves to have anxiety, frustration, anger, or sadness be a dominant part of their daily life. If you are starting to feel that way, that’s a sign that it might be time to seek support.

2. Struggling to cope with changes in life

   
   

   Change is a necessary and unavoidable part of life - and whether you view a change as a positive or a negative experience, it always has the potential to be a source of stress. Those big moments in your life like moving homes, changing careers, ending a relationship, having kids, or coping with loss are all normal — but they can also end up being really hard on our mental health and wellbeing. Sometimes these moments are planned, but sometimes you don’t end up having much of a choice.

   
   

   Either way, going through these moments doesn’t have to be so difficult or hard. Getting a little extra support when your life starts to look different can help you cope and adjust to whatever transition you’re going through. Therapy can help you approach those hard or difficult changes in a healthier way.

   
   

3. Experiencing difficulties in personal relationships

   
   

   Relationships are both a core part of the human experience and can also lead to a tremendous amount of stress and difficulty. A bit of turbulence in a relationship is normal. Everyone experiences good times and bad times with the people in their life. But if you’re experiencing high levels of conflict in one of your most important relationships, you might benefit from individual, couples, or family counselling. Your voice is important, and your desires and needs and wants are valid. A therapist can help you understand how to share those things, help you choose how you show up, help you manage the stress that is caused, and empower you as an individual within those relationships.

   
   

   Similarly, if you’re noticing that many of the relationships in your life follow a repeated pattern of conflict, negativity, or just don’t bring you any fulfillment, counselling can help you understand your experiences, and be there for whatever next steps you need. They’re there to understand who you are and what you want, recognize and navigate interpersonal triggers positively, help you recognize any unhelpful patterns that are showing up, and explore how to establish healthy boundaries.

   
   

   Losing motivation or interest in activities you used to enjoy

   
   

   Losing interest in activities that once brought joy or motivation— such as hobbies, work, or social interactions—can be an early sign that you could use someone to talk to.. Losing that spark for the things we enjoy is a distressing experience. A counsellor can help to explore why things that used to bring joy aren’t anymore, and can help you make a plan on how to re-establish that sense of joy or meaning in your life.

   
   

   You've tried making changes on your own and it just isn't working

   
   

   There are so many wonderful resources out there that folks can access on their own to try to cope with life's stressors. You may have some internal coping skills that served you well for a long time, but aren't quite cutting it any more. You might’ve read a book on the issue, but struggled to make the concepts fit into your life. Or maybe you’ve tried having conversations with family members or friends, but you aren't feeling better or they just don't seem to understand. When it feels like you’re hitting roadblocks, therapy can help.

   
   

   Counselors are trained to identify, discuss, and treat mental health concerns in a way that an average person is not. Seeing a therapist gives you a venue where you are able to take up space and focus only on the challenges that you are experiencing. A therapist can provide a non-judgmental space to discuss your concerns; they can act as an accountability partner to help you make a change; and can bring in tools, treatments, or perspectives that you may not have encountered before.

Final Thoughts: You Deserve Support

Reaching out to start therapy can be scary, confusing, or even just feel like a hassle. Some folks might wonder if their problems are bad enough to justify seeing a therapist; others may worry that reaching out to talk to someone might make the problem "real" in a way they're not ready for yet; and others may just be putting it off, planning to go to therapy "someday" but don’t know how to make it a priority.

Whether you’re looking for tools to cope, support through a life transition, or just a safe space to talk, therapy can help. And if you're ready to take that first brave step, know that you're not alone. You can reach out to Rooted Mind for a consultation, or explore your options in your community. Whatever route you take, know this:

Needing help is not a weakness. It’s just part of being human.

References

Hunsley, J., Elliott, K., Therrien Z. (2013). The Efficacy and Effectiveness of Psychological Treatments. Canadian Psychological Association. https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Practice/TheEfficacyAndEffectivenessOfPsychologicalTreatments_web.pdf