There are numerous reasons why people who would like to visit a therapist don’t have the opportunity to do so. Cost often makes therapy inaccessible, as well as heavy work schedules or long waiting lists.
It can also be difficult as an individual to find the “right” therapist. While you shouldn’t settle for a therapist who you don’t get along with or don’t feel suits your needs, frustratingly, canceling your next appointment because it isn’t working out for you can take you back to square one.
Therapy is also not a condemnation or only an emergency resort for someone already in crisis.
Dr. Ryan Howes at Psychology Today says that giving yourself time to talk about your concerns, what you’re feeling, and what you would like to practice is kind of like going to the gym: an opportunity to maintain your health and achieve your potential.
A study carried out in the US by the American Psychological Association in 2018 found that among millennials and Gen Z, more than a third of respondents have visited a therapist or mental health professional.
Psychologists see this increasing openness around mental health issues as a positive, since it provides opportunities to discuss their causes and manage them.
The even better news is that you don’t have to wait to go to a therapist in order to have those conversations with yourself and the people around you.
