Happy Monday Friends! My good friend Melissa is a therapist and she wrote this blog post about therapy in honor of World Mental Health day. I have been seeing a therapist for years and highly recommend it. I think the more we talk about things the more it helps us! Melissa makes such a good point about taking care of our mental health like we do our physical health. I hope ya’ll enjoy this post. Melissa is the sweetest and just FYI she does Telehealth visits for NC and SC if you are looking for a therapist.

Today is World Mental Health Day and an excellent reminder for us to place time and energy towards protecting and improving our mental health. Mental Health is Health. Tending to it is just as important as visiting our dentist for preventative care or seeing our primary care doctor to discuss new aches and pains. Oftentimes we ignore signs of emotional and mental discomfort until we are in crisis. We wait to reach out for support until we feel like we “really need it,” deserve it, or when daily functioning has become significantly impacted. We wonder if our reasons for therapy are compelling enough. We compare ourselves to others. Because of stigma, it can be dicult for individuals to seek help.

Mental health diagnosis or not, all of us need support at times. We can all benefit from learning strategies for personal growth and from having a safe space to explore current thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Whether it is coping with chronic stress, healing from a broken relationship, unlearning negative behaviors, or ongoing collective trauma regarding the pandemic and/or politics, therapy is for all.

Benefits from Therapy Include:

• ●  Better Understanding of Automatic, Emotion-Filled Thoughts
• ●  Healthier Behavior Patterns
• ●  Positive Changes in Coping Skills
• ●  Increased Satisfaction in Relationships, Career, and Parenting
• ●  Healing from Trauma

If you have considered engaging in therapy, here are some tips to help you get started.

1. 1.)  Youdonothavetobeincrisistostart.Partofthegrowthfromtherapyisbuildingupyour toolkit to respond in healthy ways when you do come to face challenges.
2. 2.)  Most important is your fit and connection with your therapist. It can be time consuming to find the right person for you, but trust and connection with your therapist is crucial. It will strengthen your progress.
3. 3.)  Be open and receptive. Your therapist can only work with the information given in session. If you want to get the most out of therapy, remain honest, open and willing to challenge yourself during your time in therapy. You won’t regret it!
4. 4.)  Use trusted directories such as Psychology Today to assist you. This directory, as well as others, gives you the ability to sort through possible therapists by type of session, therapist bio and background, insurance, and location.
5. 5.)  Consider your choice of using health insurance. I often get questions about whether or not to use insurance. This is an individual choice each person needs to make for him or herself. I have made the decision to be an out of network provider. This has allowed me to place your health and needs above all, and prevents a third party (insurance company) from playing a role in your treatment. Insurance companies are able to mandate the amount of sessions, require diagnosis and treatment plans with the possibility of rejection, and limit the creativity of therapy planning and implementation. If cost is a concern, talk to your potential therapist about the possibility of a discounted rate or consider the frequency and duration of your sessions.
6. 6.)  Communicate regularly and openly with your therapist. Always speak up and communicate with your therapist about your changing needs. At the beginning of the process, many of us oer free, initial consultations to discuss fit, rates, scheduling, etc. We also understand that life changes and so do our needs. We want to hear from you as the work progresses. We enjoy making therapy something that you look forward to!

Melissa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of North Carolina, as well as a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Clinical Practice in the state of South Carolina. She is currently accepting new clients in both states for teletherapy sessions.

(980) 261-4707 melissa@teletherapyofthecarolinas.com