When to Seek Help From a Psychologist
Did you know that therapy can be used as a tool to be proactive and prevent problems from developing OR reactive and focused on solving problems that already exist?
It’s true. There is no right or wrong time for therapy. There is no such thing as being “too far gone” and conversely, there is no list of “good enough or not good enough reasons” to seek out help. And most importantly, there is not one measure of what success in therapy is— it really depends on each person’s goals and expectations for themselves and motivation and commitment to their treatment to reach their goals.
Some common reasons that people seek therapy from my practice include, but are not limited to:
Addiction
Anger and aggression
Depression, isolation, and suicidal ideation
Anxiety, worry, and restlessness
Compounding effects of shift work and sleep deprivation
Stress and traumatic injury
Burnout
Relationship issues, including co-worker, romantic, or parent-child relationships.
Epidemiological research has shown that providers can intervene and provide treatment to patients in three different ways that may affect how patients think about the right time to engage in therapeutic services:
Primary prevention: To prevent the development of a disease or problem before it occurs. This would include people that seek therapy to put effort into building resiliency and learning communication and coping skills BEFORE stressful events to optimize their ability to manage and recover from them should they happen in the future.
Secondary prevention: To identify the disease or problem earlier in people at risk. This would include people that identify certain risk factors within themselves or their circumstances [such as knowing that experiencing prior trauma can be a risk factor for PTSD if they are exposed to more trauma in the future] and seek therapy as a way to bolster their strengths and protective factors and monitor any negative changes to diagnose problems as they occur.
Tertiary prevention: To prevent complications of the disease or problem in people who already have the disease or problem. This is the typical stage at which people realize they would benefit from therapy. This includes people who already have developed a problem, have experienced the problem for some time and have witnessed the problem impact their functioning in many ways, and generally feel that the problem has gotten serious enough that they need professional help to alleviate their symptoms.
Whether you want to be proactive and preventative or reactive and problem-focused, there is no wrong time for therapy.
Interested in learning more? Contact us at The Ridge today!
-Dr. Jena Casas, Ph.D.
