The beginning of a new year is often a time when our thoughts turn to ways to make our lives better. What can we do to improve how we feel? How can we stop doing things that make us miserable? How can we find more happiness and fulfilment in our lives? When finding the answers on our own is proving way too hard, turning to a therapist can be a helpful option.
People come into therapy for all sorts of reasons. They may feel lonely, sad, depressed, anxious, afraid, stressed, angry, confused, bereaved or lost. They may have an unsatisfactory love life and want to work out why they always attract the wrong person. They may be sick of how other people treat them, but have no idea how to behave differently. They may want more meaning in their lives but don’t know where to start.
Coming into therapy is a decision that will take you on a journey through your thoughts, feelings, worries, hopes and desires. Therapy can help you come to terms with difficulties in your life, identify strategies to support you in the day-to-day, and can lead you to a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world.
If you’re thinking about seeing a therapist and wondering if you’re ready, here are some of the signs:
1. You’re tired of being alone
You may be on your own, without a social network, and need to talk to someone. You may have friends and a full social life and yet feel empty inside. You may have tried and failed at relationships and wonder what you’re doing wrong. If you’re tired of feeling lonely and alone then therapy can help you feel supported, heard, acknowledged and understood.
2. You feel stuck
Life can sometimes make us feel as though we’re in a loop. We can end up repeating the same behaviours and thinking the same thoughts – and we question why we’ve ended up here yet again. Being in therapy can help you understand patterns from the past that may be playing out in the present. Therapy can help reveal your blind spots so you can make more conscious decisions in the here and now, rather than automatically going into your default setting. Therapy can help you see where you are blocking yourself – and help to release the impediments to a happier life.
3. You want to know the real you
Tired of being the person other people want you to be? Bored of the job you fell into? Wondering why you feel there is something missing from your life, but can’t identify what? We can become conditioned by so many factors in life – family, friends, school, work, culture, media – that we can lose track of who we really are. Perhaps you were never allowed to be yourself as a child, and you have carried on exhibiting behaviours that would get you love and attention. Therapy can help you peel away the layers that have covered the real you for years – allowing a truer, more authentic you to emerge.
If you feel you’re ready for therapy and would like to embark on a journey of self-discovery, give our Front of House team a call and they will match you with one of our therapists. You can reach us on 020 8673 4545 and [email protected].
