Peace River Psychology Center Psychotherapy? How will it help me?
So your doctor has recommended that you see a psychologist for your anxiety, depression or whatever you have reported to him that is emotionally wrong. So, being the good patient you have always been, you go ahead and make an appointment.
As the date approaches, you start to have second thoughts, wondering whether you really need to do this after all. But you decide to be responsible for your health and at least see what the visit would be like.
A good part of a person's ambivalence about "seeing a psychologist" is based on not wanting to be labeled "crazy", but it also reflects not knowing what psychotherapy is all about.
Let me enlighten you. Generally speaking, the purpose of psychotherapy is to provide support, reduce distress and make behavioral changes that will improve your life.
Many people experience it as an "unburdening" -- of stress, negative thoughts and feelings, or longstanding secrets that are shameful or guilt inducing. Usually, people find being understood by someone they trust to be a validation of the impact of life experiences on their sense of self.
Psychotherapy is a collaborative verbal process with a professional psychologist; who has your best interest at heart. Initially, it involves building a trusting relationship, goal-setting and the development of one's insight into one's issues. We all have issues, right?
It is all part of being human in a rapidly changing and stressful world. During psychotherapy, a regular dialogue includes exploring, uncovering, understanding, validating, reassuring --- all good stuff! Ideally, stuff that makes you feel good, not just better than when you first walked into our offices.
Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom identifies an axiom in education that applies to therapy as well. "We learn best about ourselves and our behavior through personal participation in interaction, combined with the observation and analysis of that ineraction", Dr. Yalom wrote in 2002. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE -- can benefit from this kind of experience.
So why not go ahead and try it? You will be glad you did.
