Are you going through a major life transition? Have you been feeling depressed and unsure of how to move forward? Or perhaps you’re married, and either you or your spouse have been unfaithful, and you’re not sure if it’s time to get divorced.
Whether you’re seeking individual counseling, marriage counseling, family and group therapy or considering online relationship counseling, therapists can help you through these and other major life issues and transitions.
If you’ve never been to a therapist before, you might be interested to know that 93% of the people that have worked with a marriage or family therapist claimed that it was a beneficial experience. This is because their therapists assisted them with processing their issues. As a result, these individuals learned effective tools to deal with their current as well as potential problems.
Furthermore, the individuals surveyed also stated that they received other benefits from therapy. These include improved health as well as an increased ability to function well at work.
Sometimes, people aren’t aware that they’re depressed. However, in 2012 alone, approximately 16 million people reported having had at least one bout with depression. Women, however, admit feeling depressed more often than men. Over the course of their life, women are actually 70% more likely to experience depression.
While reasons do vary, approximately 50% of the people suffering with some type of mental illness choose not to seek treatment. Some people believe there is stigma associated with seeking treatment for depression and other mental health issues. If you believe this, then it’s important to focus on what you need and seek treatment. It’s usually up to you to decide whether you tell friends, family, or co-workers that you’re seeing a therapist.
When you look for therapists in your area, be sure to ask them about the type of psychotherapy they provide and what you might be able to expect from working with them. If you’re seeing a therapist for depression, for example, your sessions may last for 10-to-20 weeks. This will depend, however, on the severity of your depression and any other issues that arise as a result of being in therapy.
In some cases, your psychotherapist may ask you to confer with a psychiatrist regarding antidepressants. If both your psychotherapist and the psychiatrist agree that these would be beneficial, you may be taking them for a short period of time. In general, this might be from four-to-six weeks.
If one of the reasons you haven’t sought treatment is due to the cost of therapy, you might be interested to know that licensed marriage and family therapists charge approximately 20%-to-40% less than psychologists or psychiatrists.
If you’ve already acknowledged that you’re going through a major life transition, are experiencing difficulties with interpersonal relationships, or are dealing with other challenging issues, contacting a therapist is the logical next step.
