Why Do People Go To Therapy Anyway??

Welcome to the blog of Roya Dedeaux, Marriage and Family Therapist. You are reading one of the posts in my “Shrinking the Stigma” series – where I will answer questions people have about the logistics and process of therapy. Because of its confidential nature, we tend to shroud the therapy process in so much mystery! My blog attempts to dispel that mystery and make it easier for you to use it as the wonderful resource it can be. Check out the other blog posts at royadedeaux.com

What are some reasons people go to therapy?

I will write another, richer, blog post about this - but in the meantime, I thought I’d gather a list of reasons I’ve heard of for why someone seeks therapy. Some people go to therapy because…

They are having panic attacks and want to stop

They have anxiety about something specific (traveling, earthquakes, leaving the house, growing up)

They are transitioning from living at home to living alone and want help figuring that out.

They feel like they have low self-esteem.

They keep fighting with their spouse or partner.

They want a better relationship with their children.

They want a better relationship with their parents.

It is the anniversary of a death or loss and they’d like help processing grief.

They have recently gone through a loss or death and want help processing their grief.

They have past abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) they realize is affecting their current relationships and would like to process that.

They have current abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) and want help dealing with an unsafe situation.

They are deciding to stay at or leave a job.

They feel stressed out all the time.

They want to understand themselves better.

They keep facing situations that cause them anxiety and want to figure out the pattern.

They keep hearing negative voices from their past and want help doing better.

They are pregnant and want to be a better parent.

They are having trouble getting pregnant and want to process what that means for their sense of self.

They want better tools for communication.

They find themselves getting angry very easily and want help managing that.

They have estranged children or other family members and want to initiate contact.

They have just discovered new and painful information about someone they love.

They have recently broken up with a significant other and want help grieving or moving on.

They feel like they are having trouble expressing who they really are.

They are having trouble making friends.

They have felt really, overwhelmingly sad for a while and do not know how to stop.

They want to get married and want to have premarital counseling.

They are getting divorced and want to figure out how to do so amicably.

They have children who are suffering from a divorce and want them to have a place to express themselves.

They feel different than other people and want someone to talk to.

They are debating their identity - maybe they’ve always been seen one way and they would like to change that.

They feel stuck in a situation they don’t like - maybe a job, a relationship, or even a geographic location.

They have been caretakers of others and want some time to figure out themselves.

They have different views of parenting than their spouse and would like to find common ground.

They are worried they have a mental health disorder and want confirmation.

They want a place to vent.

They are worried about their spouse having an addiction.

They are worried that they might have an addiction.

They feel badly about their body and what they look like.

They realize they’ve been using other things like food, shopping, drugs, or sex as coping tools and it’s not helpful anymore.

They moved to a new place and are having trouble transitioning, or finding the balance in holding on to their culture and assimilating.

They have a secret that they want to share and don’t know how, or want support in.

They need other types of resources, like medication or hospitalization, and don’t know where to start.

They have trauma from a past event that continues to bother them and impair everyday life.

Their child is exhibiting behavior that worries them.

They are lonely.

They are feeling overwhelmed.

They want to kill themselves.

They are struggling with their medication and want to improve its effectiveness or change it.

They have been cutting themselves, or another type of self-injury.

They are feeling overwhelmed by school.

A family member is sick, injured, or going through a traumatic time.

They want to talk about a perfectly nice family member and don’t want to feel guilty or responsible for that person’s feelings.

They are struggling with feeling authentic or true to themselves.

They are a new parent and are afraid they have postpartum depression.

They are fighting with their spouse, or someone close to them.

Everything seems okay and they want it to be better.

They want an hour to themselves each week.

What are some other reasons a person might seek therapy? Add yours in the comments!

“What if I don't like my therapist? How do I find a good one?” Look for answers to these questions and more in other blog posts here at royadedeaux.com!