Anxiety has become a constant in your life. Maybe there was a time when it wasn’t so bad, maybe you have never known relief. Maybe sometimes you have had a second or third drink just to forget about it for awhile. You might get surges of panic that pull you down and make you feel hopeless. It can be tempting to start to avoid people and situations that make it worse and if you have started doing this you know just how lonely it feels. Mornings can be hard, so filled with dread, the evenings so full of worry about the next day, you wonder “can I keep it together today?” the mask gets heavier, you are exhausted, you can’t sleep well, and you fear you will fall apart.
You wonder why you can’t get a handle on this. You have decided it’s time to try a therapist but you don’t know where to start.
Below is a copy from harper website: decide what your options are ask a friend or family member, your doctor, your pastor, or other people you know if they can recommend someone great.
Make Google your friend. You can google therapist near me or therapist to help with anxiety” and go from there. This will also give you an opportunity to peruse websites to see what therapists get listed on.
You can search therapists by distance and services offered to get an idea of what options you have, so you can find a therapist that can help with anxiety.
Choose to see start by giving the office a call and see if the therapist offers a free consultation, many do! If calling is super difficult for you see if you can send an email to set up the consultation.
Ask questions about therapist availability, policies, and experience treating anxiety, panic, and trauma. Share what you feel comfortable sharing during the phone call, possibly letting them know you're looking for a therapist to help with your anxiety.
Schedule an appointment when you find someone you like who feels like a good fit, schedule a time to meet via simple practice via telehealth. You will receive a link and you will also get a reminder the day before.
The first session always feels uncomfortable and it is completely normal to feel nervous. This session is focused on gathering your history and getting a real understanding for what has brought you into therapy at this time. This is when we discuss your goals and can also help you talk through the process of creating them.
We can explore what successful treatment looks like for you. What do you want to be different at the end of therapy? This exploration helps us create a bridge for therapy and a way to measure progress, one plank at a time.
The most important thing is the best way to have successful therapy is to have a good relationship with your therapist. While therapy is not meant to be easy and over time we may have some hard conversations, you should always feel seen and heard by your therapist.
You can save a lot of time and money by choosing a therapist who is the very best fit for you.
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