If you understand that you have some psychological problems, but you doubt whether everything is so bad that you should go to a psychotherapist, this is normal.

Doubts are part of the life of adults, smart people; only fools and children have no doubts.

It’s quite natural to think about what psychotherapy looks like in reality and what a psychotherapist’s client actually expects.

It’s clear that in many ways these thoughts are fueled by the fantasies and myths that exist in society about psychotherapy (you know, the couch and other attributes that we often see in movies and TV series).

Let's look at typical doubts in detail and try to answer them.

1.       I guess things aren't so bad for me

A typical misconception is that a psychotherapist is the last resort before a psychiatric hospital. And that you should only go to such a specialist as a last resort.

In fact, if you take your problems so far that you will need psychiatric medication help. The psychotherapist will no longer help you.

It's like going to the dentist. Should caries progress to such an extent that you have to pull out a tooth? It is probably better to prevent a serious problem by taking preventive measures or filling a small hole in time.

The same can be said about visiting a psychotherapist - it is much smarter (and cheaper) to regularly examine and solve psychological problems at the moment they appear than to treat neglected problems that last for decades. There's definitely no need to wait. The sooner you contact us, the better.

2.      I'm strong enough to handle my problems on my own

When you have a toothache, such ideas don’t arise. But when it comes to psychological health, such a thought often comes to a person. Men are especially prone to this, and their entire society teaches them to be strong and endure pain and hardship. Just as rinsing with vodka will help little with serious dental problems, rinsing with the help of friends and familiar psychological problems is also not very effective. We need a specialist who has undergone many years of training and has practical experience in solving such problems. There is no shame in asking for help, but on the contrary, it shows that you are an adult who knows how to solve problems. Therapy, among other benefits, gives you self-help tools that you can use throughout your life.

3.      Once you start going to a psychotherapist, it will last a lifetime.

In fact, long-term methods of psychotherapy, when you went to a psychologist for years to get results, are already becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, many short-term therapy methods have been developed that bring results after 10 sessions, and you can feel the first changes after just a couple of meetings. Of course, depending on the goal, therapy can be shorter or take a longer time, but it is not necessary to go to psychotherapy all your life. You can decide for yourself what the duration of therapy will be.

4.      I don't want my therapist to know about my skeletons in my closet

Of course, openness is the key to successful therapy. But it is you who decide what degree of openness you are ready for at the moment. The main goal of a psychotherapist is to provide an atmosphere in which you would feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and experiences without fear of judgment.

You choose the pace of psychotherapy. In the trusting relationship that is born in psychotherapy, you will be comfortable sharing what you are ready to reveal to a specialist.

5.      I'm afraid that I'll be judged

Of course, sharing your feelings makes you vulnerable. Worrying about what your therapist will think of you is completely justified. But the point of psychotherapy is precisely to accept you completely, with all your problems, shortcomings, mistakes and experiences.  The goal of a psychotherapist is not to judge you, but to listen and help you look at your situation differently, to help you see “blind spots” hidden from your understanding.  If understanding your experiences is important to you, tell your therapist about it. Then your fears will go away and it will be easier for you to achieve the results you expect in therapy.

6.      I'm afraid  that I will become dependent on a psychotherapist

The good thing about a therapeutic relationship is that it involves limited meeting time - usually 45-50 minutes once a week. All other contacts with the psychotherapist other than sessions are excluded. The psychotherapist tracks your progress and when you master self-help skills, you will be able to do just fine without psychotherapy. The goal of therapy is precisely the development of independence in solving psychological problems, and not the creation of dependent relationships.

7.      I'll have to make a choice if I talk about problems

Nobody pushes you to take action during psychotherapy. This is your life. And you bear full responsibility for it, both for actions and for their absence. Psychotherapy will help you see unexpected solutions, resources and perspectives that you were not aware of. This doesn't mean you necessarily need to use them. But you will have more tools to decide and choose if you want to use them.

8.     I may learn something about myself that I can't live with

Awareness of the unconscious is the goal of psychotherapy precisely because the unconscious creates psychological problems. Knowing yourself gives you more control over your life. If you are worried about the idea that new knowledge will be a hindrance, tell your therapist about it. He makes sure to take this into account in his work. You are already living with something that prevents you from living, the knowledge that this, on the contrary, will help you find freedom and acceptance.

9.      If I am tormented by doubts, perhaps psychotherapy is not my path

Doubts are a completely normal part of life. Our unconscious problems are looking for any way to keep you from discovering them. After all, then they will not exist. This way they can control you. This internal resistance often has precisely this nature as a defense mechanism. Facing the truth about yourself can be painful. It’s like a wound that festeres and hurts, your problems are afraid of the doctor’s scalpel.

Think about what you are really going through - chronic problems and the pain associated with them, or the pain that may occur when treating and opening a neglected wound. This type of reflection will help you accept your difficult emotions and gain the strength to decide to seek treatment.

10.  Maybe this is contraindicated for me?

Usually, during an initial conversation before a consultation or at the first meeting, an experienced psychotherapist will determine whether he can help in your situation or whether psychiatric medication is already necessary. In such cases, I redirect the person to a consultation with a psychiatrist. And then, when the acute phase is relieved with medication, he can undergo so-called “combined therapy” when a psychiatrist and psychotherapist work together (on the recommendation of a psychiatrist).

If you already have a psychiatric diagnosis, then psychotherapeutic help can only be useful if recommended by your psychiatrist. If you are intoxicated from alcohol and drugs, you should also first contact a psychiatrist.

If you yourself have no desire to undergo psychotherapy, but your relatives insist on it, then psychotherapy will also not be effective.

In all other cases, you can safely seek psychological help by clicking on the button below. 

Take action and you will succeed!