Provider Feature // Samantha Miller of Tides Changing Therapy
The How, What, and Why Behind Beginning Therapy
By Amber Jacobson | LCSW | Tides Changing Therapy
“I should have begun therapy years ago.” I hear this from so many new clients. If you or someone you know has felt hesitant to begin therapy, you are not alone. In this post, I want to share with you the reasons behind why you should give it a try, and how to get started.
Therapy is not only for people experiencing a crisis, therapy is for anyone who wants to learn new things about themselves. When you carve out space and time in your life to explore some of your past experiences or your future desires you say things out loud that may have been being held inside. You can talk about subjects that may be sensitive and important that you did not properly heal from. You also can share your aspirations and your therapist can set you in a new direction.
With our fast-paced lives, it can be hard to create time for your own well-being. We are all balancing our relationships, work, finances, and much more. When you book your sessions with your therapist you are carving time to explore your thoughts, your feelings and give yourself time to be supported in doing so. You have nowhere else to be, no responsibilities, no text messages or calendars to attend to.
We all have emotions, we have all dealt with difficult or painful experiences and we all have mental health. Being reflective and learning how to express yourself is just as important as your diet, exercise, and getting a good night’s sleep. Successful people want to learn more about themselves and can recognize how important therapy can be in the long term.
Okay, so I’ve convinced you to think about it. Where to begin with the search? I always tell people that finding a therapist is comparable to dating. You have to spend some time finding the right one, and it’s important to know the first one you meet may not be THE one. What the therapy-goer should be looking for is chemistry and rapport between them and their therapist. Here are resources for finding a therapist in your city, whether you’re wanting in-person sessions or online. www.zencare.com and www.psychologytoday.com. You can break down your search by specialties (anxiety, depression, career counseling, eating disorders, trauma…etc), health insurance, budget, languages, etc.
Now that you have resources for where to begin your search, it is important to know what comes next. Once you find someone online you think you could click with, ask them for a free consultation call. Most therapists offer a free 15 minute to 30 minute call where you can get to know a little bit about each other. You can ask them questions about what you can expect in their sessions, or about their training. This is also a time for the therapist to learn about what you are hoping to work on.
As Kerry Washington said, “My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I wouldn’t seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth. I go to the dentist. So why wouldn’t I go to a shrink?”
Get in touch with Samantha Miller //
Website: https://tideschangingtherapy.com/
Email: samantha@tideschangingtherapy.com