In Part 1 of our series we talked about how to recognize when anxiety is a problem and Part 2 focused on what you can do on your own to minimize your anxiety. If you missed those, and want to catch up go ahead and read those first.
Now that we know what to look for to gauge if anxiety is a problem, and we know what to try at home to help ease our angst, we need to consider going in for professional counseling. If you have tried to deal with anxiety on your own, but it just still feels overwhelming, you likely need a trained therapist to help you. As we’ve said before, there is nothing wrong with that. Here are the reasons why working with a trained counselor can help you, and a few common objections debunked.
- Professional counselors are highly trained to help you. Talking to your friend about your worries is great, and often I encourage my clients to build trusting friendships. However, talking to your friends is not the same as talking to an educated professional. Therapists know how to look for patterns in your thoughts and behaviors, they can teach you new skills to manage your emotions, and help you change unhelpful thoughts and perceptions. As an objective observer of you and your life, therapists have only one role: your therapist. Friends, parents and loved ones have other connections to you, you fill other needs in their own lives, which makes helping you murky. Counselors are objective, trained experts.
- Counseling doesn’t have to last forever. A good therapist will help you set goals and work towards them. Once you’ve reached those goals, you don’t need to keep going to therapy. Part of a therapist’s job is to work themselves OUT of a job.
- Counseling is not just for seriously mentally ill people. Counseling absolutely can help more seriously mentally ill people – but it also helps people with more common challenges that impact daily lives. Research shows talk therapy is very effective in helping alleviate symptoms of a variety of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety.
- If you had a bad experience once, please try again. Like with any profession, there are many, many different kinds of therapists. You need to find someone you feel comfortable with in order for therapy to be effective. The quality of the counselor-client relationship is the number one factor that predicts success in therapy. If you have seen a counselor in the past that wasn’t a good fit, please don’t write off therapy all together. Ask to talk to a therapist on the phone first to see if you get a good vibe. At Lime Tree Counseling, we offer a free 15-minute phone consult just for this purpose. We want our clients to have confidence that they will “click” with us before they come through the door and pay for a session. Don’t be afraid to “break up” with a counselor that isn’t a good fit for you. A quality therapist won’t be offended, and will give you referrals for someone else that might be a better fit.
Start Anxiety Therapy in Ambler, PA
Now that you’re ready to start anxiety counseling, our team of experts at Lime Tree Counseling is here for you! We want to see you live life as you were made to live – not controlled by your anxiety. We offer those free 15-minute phone consultations if you want to chat with us first – or you can schedule your first appointment. Contact us today to get started!