Hello readers!
Today I want to talk a bit about seeking therapy. When I was a Psychology student in Undergraduate, the thought of seeking therapy was so foreign to me. I grew up learning to keep my problems to myself and among people I was close to. When my Introduction to Counselling lecturer talked about therapy, I said that I would never think of going for therapy.
Therapy for many is probably what therapy was for me back then. Why would I want a stranger to know about me and why would I want to talk to someone about the deepest darkest part of myself that even I don’t want to face? I also did not know if I could trust the person.
However, while in America, all alone, doing my Masters, we were all encouraged to seek therapy and everyone spoke about therapy like it was something so common, something that people just did. I decided that, why not, give it a go. It really wasn’t too bad. Over the years, I’ve met good therapist, and not so good ones. Some make you feel better, others don’t.
Talking to a counsellor or psychologist is like talking to a friend who listens and doesn’t judge. A person who cares yet allows you the space to do your own growing and exploring.
I tell this story because many people ask me this question: How do I know when to seek help? I don’t have to be crazy to seek help right?
How do I know when to look for a counsellor in Singapore?
Many people might turn to friends and family first whenever they need help. This is great, especially if your friends and family are supportive and you feel good after speaking to them. However, if even speaking to them, you realise, nothing is changing, you are not feeling any better, you still feel lost, sad, or anxious.
Others might feel like they cannot talk to anyone in their lives because they don’t trust anyone or that they just don’t have anyone around who will listen. Some might be feeling very high levels of distress and after talking to others, have been encouraged to seek professional mental health help. Others might feel burnout at work, or feel a lack of meaning in everything they do and just want someone to talk to.
The list can go on and on because there is no real hard and fast rule of when to seek help. It depends on your needs at that point of your life.
Does it mean that I am crazy if I go for counselling in Singapore?
No! Seeing a therapist does not mean that you are crazy. If it does, there are a lot of us who are crazy that are walking the streets and most likely it means that all your therapists are crazy too! Anyone can seek help. I have had people seek help because they are feeling sad due to a breakup, or maybe feeling overwhelmed at work. All these are legit reasons to seek help
Life changes can create anxiety, fear, or stress in one’s life and sometimes, all you might need is someone to talk to. There is nothing wrong with that!
We all need that neutral someone to listen to us every now and then. I believe that going for therapy can be very helpful, it helps you look deeper into your own life and learn to be more aware about yourself. Sometimes you might uncover somethings you never knew about yourself. I say, give it a try! See how it goes! You never know, it might be something you really need to at that extra boost to living a better life 🙂
If you want to book a counselling session, email us at team@akindplace.co or WhatsApp us here.
Our team of professional counsellors and psychologists in Singapore specialise in various fields such as depression counselling sessions and trauma counselling. You can also find personalised men’s counselling and affordable grief counselling.
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