5 Things to Think About Before Putting “Get Therapist” at the Bottom of Your List
John Clarke, LPCC on Jun 14, 2021 in Mood and Feelings
1. Take a Priority Check
If therapy is something you’ve been meaning to do for a while, take a look at your budget and figure out what you might be paying for instead. Our priorities tend to be on display on our credit card statement.
What are a few areas you’re already investing in right now that you could do without and substitute therapy in their place?
Here are a few good places to start:
- Subscriptions
- Eating out
- Buying drinks
- Shopping
Envision how you would feel if you cut out a few of these items in order to gain more emotional and mental freedom.
Really ask yourself if your mental health is a top priority right now, and if it is, how can you move it to the top of your budget?
2. Prevention
Most people reach out to a therapist when things get to a point where they can hardly function in their daily life…AKA crisis mode.
The truth is, this is completely preventable.
Even if you feel a small nudge to talk to someone, odds are your future self will be thanking you that you reached out prior to crisis mode.
Our brains are wired to create neural pathways associating our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors together. The longer we wait to get help, the more “wired” together these processes become.
If you’re wanting relief from anxiety or depression for example, the longer you wait the longer it may take in therapy to feel better by delaying treatment.
That being said, it’s never too late to seek out treatment! But why not reach out now if you can prevent more time and money spent on therapy later on?
3. Good Mental Health=Good Outcomes At Work
If you’re feeling like you’re not reaching your full potential at work, the answer probably isn’t to “work harder” or “focus more on your goals”.
The issue is oftentimes due to an internalized belief or feelings of overwhelm pertaining to an area of your life, inhibiting you from achieving your full potential, and keeping you stuck.
Your mental health has HUGE repercussions on your ability to thrive in your work life, and if getting a promotion, or taking the next step towards the job of your dreams is on your list of things you’d like to do, therapy more than likely should be too!
4. Your Relationships Will Flourish
Mental and emotional health is absolutely necessary not just for finding a partner, but also for being the kind of person you’d want to be with.
When you go to therapy you will develop a greater sense of self-awareness which is crucial in any close relationship. You will also gain communication and coping skills to better your connection to your partner so you both can feel understood and safe with one another.
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to how therapy can help you with your relationships, so if this is something you’re wanting help with, therapy is perfect for you!
5. You Will Gain Tools You’ll Have For The Rest Of Your Life
What you gain in sessions won’t stop there.
What you learn and develop will stay with you throughout the rest of your life!
Just like a college degree, you can use what you’ve learned in therapy and apply it to various settings and areas of your life for years to come.
You may be surprised how different your life will start to look in the long run after you’ve spent even just one year investing in your mental health!
We hope this was helpful, and understand even after reading this post, therapy may feel like it’s not going to work for your current budget.
If you’re struggling to find a way to pay for therapy, here are a few great ways to get support:
- Ask your therapist about receiving superbills and how you can get reimbursed through your insurance if you’re paying out of pocket.
- Use to price cost slider on TherapyDen.com to filter through price ranges and specify which insurance you’re wanting to use.
- Ask your therapist if they offer a sliding scale.
“There is no more profitable investment than investing in yourself. It is the best investment you can make; you can never go wrong with it. It is the true way to improve yourself to be the best version of you and lets you be able to best serve those around you.”
-Roy T. Bennett
