What is Therapy and how can it help me?

What is Therapy and how can it help?

Therapy, often also called Counselling or Psychotherapy:

• Offers a safe and confidential space to explore, with a suitably qualified professional, difficult personal issues, those causing emotional pain or any emotional crisis which may have arisen in your life.
• Provides a non-judgemental listening space where you can feel supported and understood.
• Is based on the assumption that all of us have within ourselves the capacity to make changes to our own lives for the better.

Therapy is a journey of exploration taken by the therapist and the client together, in order to gain insight and self-awareness and to find a way forward with difficulties in our lives. It is about empowering ourselves to take control over our own lives for the better. Through an alliance with your therapist, one based on trust, respect and compassion, you can gain self-understanding and recognise patterns and connections you may not have seen previously. This likely will lead you to identify changes you wish to make either on your own if you feel strong enough or perhaps with the support of the therapeutic relationship until you feel more connected to your own internal strength.

Therapy can teach you better mechanisms for coping with difficulty and promotes more healthy behaviours thus providing more satisfying relationships in your life. Among the goals of therapy is the promotion of psychological well-being, both individually and in relationship with others, through self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-compassion.

You should consider Therapy if:

• You frequently feel overwhelmed.
• You feel a prolonged sense of helplessness and sadness.
• Your problems do not seem to get better despite your efforts and with help from family and friends.
• You are finding it difficult to carry out everyday activities: for example, you are unable to concentrate on your work, and your job performance is suffering as a result or you are finding it difficult to get through your normal working day.
• You worry excessively, expect the worst or are constantly on edge.
• Your actions are harmful to yourself or to others: for instance, you are drinking too much alcohol, abusing drugs or becoming overly argumentative and aggressive.
• You are having difficulty coming to terms with a traumatic event or loss.
• You are having relationship problems or are struggling to communicate with someone who is important to you.
• You are struggling with any kind of obsessive or compulsive behaviours.

Research has shown therapy to be effective in the treatment of many types of emotional distress. Therapy can help regardless of background, education, race, colour or age.

Many people feeling low or going through a difficult time prefer to pursue the option of therapy rather than seek the support of medication as they may know deep down what underlies how they currently feel. Working together with a suitably qualified Counsellor or Psychotherapist who can help them understanding what has led to their current emotional distress, and guide them towards a better way forward can be both empowering and life-changing.

If you would like to source a Counsellor or Psychotherapist to help you with any issue causing emotional distress, see our Find a Therapist page here for a nationwide directory of practitioners.