Going to a psychotherapist for the first time can be very anxiety-provoking for some people. Consider this, if you need treatment for overwhelming anxiety that causes you to avoid everything that makes you anxious, there’s a good chance that you will avoid getting treatment for anxiety!
I’ve heard a lot of clients say things over the years like, “only the weak see therapists or psychiatrists” or “my brother (sister, father, girlfriend, buddy, etc.) thinks I should be able to do it on my own”. I say they have that all wrong.
It’s the strong ones that actually go to therapy to do the work.
I said to someone the other day, accepting help isn’t easy for some people, but it sure is self-defeating not to take advantage of it when it’s available. It’s like trying to carry a large, heavy crate from your truck into your house all by yourself, and when your neighbor sees what a heavy load it is, he offers to help you but you refuse the help, preferring to do things on your own. Your neighbor was right there willing to make your life a little easier, but you said “no” because you thought you “should be able to do it on your own”. Sound familiar?
One of my favorite quotes is by author, professor, researcher, storyteller and clinical social worker, Brene Brown, Ph.D. (If you don’t know who she is, you should watch her two Ted Talks on “Shame” and “Vulnerability” or read any of her books (my favorite is Daring Greatly),
“Vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage”.
I have this quote displayed in my office for my clients to see and I will often point it out to them to remind them accepting help doesn’t mean they are weak, it means they are strong. In order to heal, we must have the courage to be vulnerable.
About Barbara Edelman, MSW, LCSW
I am a Licensed Psychotherapist in Saint Louis, MO. I am certified in EMDR and specialize in treating Anxiety, Depression, PTSD and Trauma in adults and adolescents and helping my clients to develop a sense of peace, comfort and connection in their lives and relationships.
If you have anxiety or depression or think you may have unresolved trauma and would like to work with a Saint Louis area therapist who specializes in trauma, please contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation at 314-780-4906 or email me now at barbedelmantherapist@gmail.com to schedule a time.
For more information about Brene Brown, Ph.D, LMSW, see this link http://brenebrown.com/about/
