The topic of therapy can often times be a tricky one. Many feel like it is the “last straw” or the route that you take when your situation becomes uncontrollable. But when it comes to dealing with symptoms of mental illness, often therapy can be one of your best friends and the start to your road to recovery. This negative view is one that I believe is dominating our society today because of the stereotype that having a mental illness can bring. Instead, seeking out help in the form of therapy should be viewed as a move of strength. Taking responsibility of the well-being of your own mind and body is one of the smartest choices one can make.
Fear of Getting Started
When the topic of therapy was first brought up between me and my parents, I was taken aback and frankly nervous about how things would go. I did not believe that it was the right choice for me because at the time, I was not experiencing symptoms that I felt were too severe. I viewed therapy as a last resort and certainly not something that could help me. But I agreed to at least give it a try. Since I attend a public university, my college provides free counseling and health services to all students who are interested and seeking out help. This made it quite simple for me to make an appointment without much hassle. After making the appointment, I was already feeling better about the new path I was embarking on.
My Very First Therapy Session
The day of my first appointment arrived and I was feeling pretty nervous. I had no idea how things were going to go or if the counselor I was going to see was even going to be able to help me. Stressful thoughts filled my mind, such as if she was going to hit me with a diagnosis right away or tell me I have a really serious condition that I was unaware of. Looking back, this was a pretty natural feeling and one that many people often have before starting something new. After first meeting my new counselor, I was instantly filled with relief. She was so easy to talk to and appeared to truly care about what I was saying. It was like she understood what I was going through and could give me reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Even though this was the case, I still was a bit unconvinced that she was going to help me ultimately solve my problems. As I continued meeting with her over the next year, we quickly developed a routine. Each meeting she would ask me about the past few weeks and how I felt my life was going. Depending on the week, I would have different feelings to report. Then we would follow that up with brainstorming reasons why I might feel this way. Through questionnaires, mood logs, and journaling exercises, we had made significant progress by the end of the first year.
Going Back To College
Once returning to college the following year, my symptoms began to get progressively worse. My appointments started to feel redundant and I no longer felt like I was making any further progress with this counselor. This was not any fault of my her’s, she was still doing everything she could for me. It was simply because my symptoms were changing, as mental illness tends to do, and I no longer felt that our techniques were helping me. After coming to this realization, I decided that it was time to seek out assistance elsewhere and potentially in a more clinical form. That spring, I reached out the behavioral health wing of my regular doctor’s office to set up an appointment. I did not have the highest of hopes initially, only because I had not reached the level of success I was hoping for with the first counselor. But still, I decided I would give it a try.
A Better Fit – Me & My Therapist
I could tell almost immediately after starting work with this new therapist that I was receiving a more personalized and detailed service than I had with my on-campus counselor. Not only was this person more detail-oriented, but she also took more time to ask me about my past and my family life, trying to connect which factors from this data may still be contributing to my feelings now. At first, this caught me off guard. But I knew I had to trust her and open my mind to a new way of doing things. With her larger network of resources and years of experience, she was able to provide a new perspective on my situation. After only a few appointments, I could already tell that my future with her was bound to be bright.
To this day, I continue to see this same therapist and I have to say it was one of the best choices I could have made for myself. The act of starting therapy can be a bit intimidating believe me, I know. It can sometimes also be tedious, as every person has different wants and needs depending on their condition. If you start out like me and are not feeling satisfied with the way that things are going after a number of appointments, seek out something new. It is important to find a method that you feel will be successful for you. Therapy is often meant for developing skills to manage your feelings, and in some situations, it can even be a game-changer and ultimately a means to a reassuring end.
So, how can you get started with therapy?
- First, check your with your or your parent’s insurance company. If you are under 26 years old, you may qualify under your parent’s insurance. Go to the insurance company’s website and login. Oftentimes, you should be able to search for a therapist who is “in-network” at the insurance company, which means they will pay for a significant chunk of the services.
- If you are seeking for more specialists in your area who may or may not be in network, you can do additional web searches on sites like PsychologyToday.com.
- Even if you find a therapist who is in-network at your insurance, you may want to cross reference the therapist on a site such as PsychologyToday.com and visit the therapist’s website to learn about their specialties.
- Once you find someone who seems like a good fit, give them a call to schedule an initial phone consultation to see if you get along and if they treat the conditions you are experiencing.
- From there, it is time to give it a try!
- If the first few sessions don’t seem like a good fit- don’t be concerned. It may take a couple tries to find the best fit, but it will be 100% worth it when you do.
- Set-up a regular schedule with your therapist and check-in to see how you’re feeling. Be open with your therapist about how it’s going and don’t be afraid to offer feedback on how they can help you better.
Good luck!
By: Sophia Sikowski, Anxiety In Teens Contributor