People
seek therapy for many different reasons. These are some of the ways
people describe why they seek therapy. Your reasons may seem similar
or different. But whatever your reasons are, we’ll want to try
to help you with them.
Some people seek therapy because of ways they feel: I’m depressed . . anxious . . . angry . . . fearful . . . I feel confused . . . worried . . . hopeless . . . overwhelmed.
Some people seek therapy because of how they feel about themselves: I feel insecure . . . inferior to others . . . shy . . . lonely . . . I feel angry at myself . . . bad about myself . . . I’m disappointed in my life.
Some people seek therapy because of disturbing symptoms: I have panic attacks . . . nightmares . . . insomnia . . . rages . . . crying spells . . . compulsions . . . obsessions . . . mood swings.
Some people seek therapy because of problems in their relationships: I’m having trouble with my romantic partner . . . with my spouse . . . with my children . . . parents . . . co-workers . . . with my friends . . . My romantic relationships never last . . . No one understands me . . . I can’t seem to get along with anybody at all.
Some people seek therapy because they can’t stop behaving in ways that they know are not good for them: I’m struggling with my alcohol use . . . with drug abuse . . . with trying to control my eating . . . with unsafe sex. . . with abuse from my spouse (or partner).
Some people seek therapy because they are burdened by pain from the past: I grew up in a dysfunctional family . . . I lost a parent to an early death . . . My parents divorced . . . I was always scapegoated by my peers . . . by my family . . . I was emotionally abused . . . I suffered physical abuse . . . sexual abuse.
Some people seek therapy because of issues related to their identity: I’m having trouble with my sexual identity . . . with my religious identity . . . with my ethnic identity . . . with my spirituality.
Some people seek therapy because of issues related to their stage of life: I’m facing life as a young adult on my own for the first time . . . as a single parent . . . as a divorced person . . . as a parent with an “empty nest” . . . as an aging person . . . as a caretaker of elderly parents . . . as someone facing retirement.
Some people seek therapy because they’re having trouble coping with hard times: I’m out of work . . . I’ve been diagnosed with a serious illness . . . Someone I love has died . . . I’m getting a divorce . . . I’m failing my classes.
Some people seek therapy because of problems in their creative pursuits: I’m blocked in my writing . . . I have stage fright . . . I can’t get it together to audition . . . I can’t seem to be able to network.
Some people seek therapy because of an overall dissatisfaction with their lives: I’m unhappy . . . adrift . . . stuck . . . going nowhere . . . unfulfilled . . . I keep repeating the same mistakes . . . I’m hurting, but I don’t know exactly why.
And some people go into therapy not because they are troubled, but because they want to learn more about themselves, to explore as-yet unexplored regions of their minds, and because they understand that therapy can be an exciting way to enhance their lives.
For a referral interview call 212ANALYST (212-262-5978) or fill out this simple form.
© Copyright 2006 NPAP. All rights reserved.
