Reasons To Go To Therapy 

Why should I go to therapy?

Sometimes, there are one or more catalysts that motivate people to seek therapy, such as ending one phase of life (i.e. a breakup) and starting a new one, experiencing a traumatic event, or an accumulation of multiple stressors finally becomes "too much." It is also common for people to seek therapy in order to address specific unresolved conflicts stemming from the past, such as childhood wounds associated with growing up in a neglectful or abusive home, or trust issues that emerged following a romantic relationship wherein one was betrayed. In other instances, people seek therapy not for a specific reason but because they have been feeling vaguely unsatisfied; they may have noticed some maladaptive recurring lifestyle patterns that keep yielding the same unsatisfying results. Whatever the reason, therapy is most effective when it feels like a personal choice. 

When is the best time to go to therapy? 

Therapy can be useful during a crisis. When tensions are high, therapy can be a respite and/or a workshop. However, you don't have to be "in crisis" in order to benefit from therapy. Some people choose to go to therapy for "maintenance" or "prevention" purposes; they wish to focus on treatment of specific debilitating symptoms. For others, there is a desire for "more" that pushes them to seek therapy. These people may be aiming to discover and reach their "full potential." According to the psychologist Carl Rogers, all humans possess a desire that drives them towards growth. Following this line of thinking, the goal of therapy is self-actualization, which refers to the process of recognizing and expressing one's innate capabilities as well as accessing one's creativity in order lead a more fulfilling and satisfying life. One of my goals as a clinician is to guide patients into having greater awareness. Once you have greater awareness of why you do the things you do, it becomes easier to make choices based on personally meaningful values and goals.