Counselling Articles

Free Self-Help Guides and Mental Health Information

The Most Common Reasons for Having Therapy

The Most Common Reasons for Embarking on Therapy

When going through emotionally difficult times, individuals often seek help from a therapist. This is partly due to the greater acceptance for psychotherapy in our society. Several decades ago, psychotherapy, or counselling, was viewed as something that should be kept a secret; but times have changed, and now people talk about the experience of their latest session over coffee with their friends who are also in therapy. The frequency of which people now undergo therapy could be attributed to many factors, and could even be viewed as a “trend.” However, the real reason for why people have therapy is because it works. This article will discuss the top reasons for embarking on therapy.

The most common reasons for having therapy are:

Depression: Often described as the “common cold” of mental health issues, depression can present with symptoms of sadness, irritability, fatigue, inability to sleep, decision making issues, etc. Psychotherapy treatments such as CBT are very effective at treating depression and its causes.
Grief: The experience of losing someone or something close to us is often difficult. Accessing the support of a therapist who is trained and knowledgeable about the phases typically passed through after a loss can be beneficial. Having a dedicated time and space to explore the feelings connected to this loss can be invaluable. Therapy can help make the transitions that are naturally associated with a loss smother and more manageable.
Anxiety: A state of mood in which an individual experiences nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying is often anxiety. The feelings associated with anxiety can influence how one acts or behaves. Feelings of anxiety can also manifest physical symptoms such as nausea, muscle tension, increased heart rate, and perspiration. Psychotherapy has been used to successfully treat anxiety since its introduction to mainstream society. Modern treatment methods such as CBT have been shown to be especially effective in addressing issues of anxiety.
Addiction: The over use, or dependence of, a substance can quickly take over one’s life and activities. Addiction is a serious issue that often requires the attention of a trained therapist or support group. Working with the assistance of a therapist can help answer questions such as “Why me?” and “How did this come about?” A therapist can help target the triggers of addictive behaviours and help create a plan to avoid them and thus overcome addictive behaviours.
Sexual issues: Often some of the most “embarrassing” and yet common issues that therapy helps to address are sexual. Due to the sensitive nature of the issue many people kept their difficulties to themselves until their relationship or life satisfaction are seriously jeopardised. Not all sexual issues are psychological in origin, some are physical. Speaking with a therapist who is familiar with issues concerning sexual health can help identify possible causes for sexual problems and possible treatment options. Issues concerning sex do not have to remain a secret at the expense of your life satisfaction. Help is available and should be sought.
Confidence: Many people who turn to therapy do so because they have issues with their self-confidence. The origin of this issue is often due to a variety of reasons, such as unresolved childhood issues, harmful relationships, and automatic negative thoughts. Therapists can help those who suffer from low confidence learn new techniques to improve self-worth and identify and address the causes for poor self-confidence.
Greater self-awareness: Not everyone who comes to therapy has an issue; some are just curious about themselves and seek explanations for his or her behaviour.
Greater life balance: Perhaps the greatest benefit to having therapy is achieving greater balance and harmony in life. Often this benefit is the product of overcoming difficulties with the assistance of a therapist and identifying the areas of life in which one tries to reap all life satisfaction. Frequently those who suffer from imbalance in their life also experience difficulties as a result of this. The cause of the imbalance is often focusing too much attention on one area of life and not enough on another. Therapy can help to regain balance in one’s life and develop a plan to prevent imbalance from being a problem again.

Here is a more comprehensive list/glossary of many other issues suitable for counselling.

Embarking upon therapy can be a very rewarding experience. Gone are the days where therapy was something to be embarrassed about, and therefore therapy or counselling is more popular than ever. If you, or someone you know, have been struggling with one or more of the above common reasons for participating in therapy, then you might be re-assured to know that help exists.