Ryan never believed in therapy.  He felt that it was for people with severe mental illness, and that was not him.  He also did not think that it was masculine to speak about his feelings.  He would rather suck it up and meet his friends down at the bar to have a beer.

When Ryan’s father passed away, he began to collapse within himself.  He was raised by a single father who had physically abused him as a form of punishment.  Ryan often rebelled against his father because of this.  He had said some hurtful things to his father before he passed away.  Now he was overcome with guilt to the point that it was hard to focus on a day to day basis.  His girlfriend asked him to please speak to someone.  He was hesitant. How could a therapist help? He didn’t know what to say or what to expect.

Here are some things to help you understand therapy better before you take those first brave steps:

1. Who is therapy for?

Therapy can be for anyone: Everyone has stress or situations that they might need help navigating. It can be workplace conflict, loss, trauma, anxiety, family conflict, or any other stressor that seems confusing or painful.

2. What are the initial steps?

Your therapist will start by asking you what your therapy goals are or how they can help you. This might include getting a family history, childhood experiences and relationship background.

3. Creating a treatment plan

You and your therapist will decide on a treatment plan and frequency of sessions. Be honest about your availability so that the therapist can come up with a plan that works for your time and budget.

4. A non-judgemental space

Your therapist is there to help and not to judge. People often worry about being overanalyzed or judged.  That is not helpful for anyone and is not the therapist’s role.

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If you feel like you need to talk to someone, please contact me to set up an online session via email info@doctormonicaborschel.com.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Although I am a registered clinical psychologist with the Hong Kong Society of Counseling and Psychology, I am not a licensed psychologist or any other type of licensed therapist in the United States. The information I am providing here is educational and informational. This social media page does not provide professional advice, nor does it create a professional-client relationship or any other type of relationship between us. You should always consult your own licensed mental health professional before making any changes regarding your mental health. My goal is to educate, guide, consult, and empower you regarding your mental health journey. Always consult your licensed mental healthcare provider(s) and never disregard or delay medical advice based on information posted on this page or post.