I love this little video because it can help take the fear out of going to see a therapist. The first phone call can be hard to make sometimes, and often we've been thinking about it and holding off for a long time. The free 15 minute phone consultation can help feel out a therapist. Then the first session, while it's normally to worry that we might burst into tears, or not be able to talk, or just feel plain nervous... it's usually just two people beginning to get to know each other.
"There is a lot that holds us back from trying therapy... there is the idea that you have to be a little mad or harbor some huge and strange problem to go and see a therapist. It's can be hard to see that therapy isn't for a select disturbed few. It's for everyone, because it's actually entirely ordinary to be rather confused, a bit anxious, and sometimes challenged by relationships, family life, and the direction of your career. So the only qualification for going to therapy is to be a normal human being."
For many people there is still naturally a stigma about going to therapy. Sometimes it's because there is a feeling that it means something is "wrong with me". Sometimes there is a fear of being judged. Sometimes it's just simply not something we are used to doing and we don't know what to expect! Asking for help can be hard, but it doesn't mean you are weak, or that something is "wrong with you", it just means that you are a human being on the plane earth and it can be a confusing place. We all have our stuff. We all need a little help. Most people feel a sense of relief to know that they things that weigh so heavily on us... is in fact very normal!
Therapist's are the least judgmental people and want to offer you compassion as you face normal human struggles. I think the best way to face our issues is to see them, and ourselves, with tons and tons of compassion. Coming to self awareness about how we can get in our own way and where we learned our habits, can be quite painful if we don't look at ourselves through a lens of compassion.
I hope you enjoy this video and that it helps you entertain the idea of going to see a therapist. Going to therapy is the best thing I ever did for myself and I still go! Plus, I see it help my clients every day. We all deserve compassion and support as we navigate this world!
