5 reasons you should talk to a therapist from time to time

If you are currently wondering if therapy might be helpful for you, the answer is yes. Therapy is no longer just for people with demonstrable mental illnesses. A psychologist can also help you if you are struggling with something relatively minor. And even if you’re not, you don’t need a specific problem to learn and grow a lot from therapy. In many cases, a few conversations with a psychologist are enough. Here are 5 reasons why you should talk to a psychologist from time to time.

1. Gain self-knowledge

Without an objective outsider, it is sometimes incredibly difficult to engage in self-reflection. Often we do not understand why we do certain things. Or we don’t take the time or effort to think about it; after all, we always do those things our way. A psychologist asks questions about what you may have come to regard as perfectly normal. You learn to reflect on your own behavior and to ask yourself questions like: what do I really want? What makes me happy? What behavior or thinking pattern is standing in my way? This self-reflection can have very useful outcomes:

  • You understand why you have become stuck in certain patterns of behavior or thinking.
  • You come to the conclusion that you want to do some things very differently.
  • You gain a better understanding of people around you and their different perspectives.

2. Talk to someone objective

There are some things that you cannot discuss with your partner, a friend, or a family member. These people are simply too close to you or too involved in the situation. A psychologist, on the other hand, is objective. He or she will not take sides, will have no prejudices, and will not tell you directly how to solve the situation.

Working on your own

A psychologist holds up a mirror to you and lets you focus on the role you play in the situation. How can you improve the situation or solve the problem? What can you learn from it? How can you act better in the future? Underlying causes – if there are any – are also brought to light in this way. In this way, you will be offered the tools to solve the problem yourself.

3. Getting mentally stronger

Your psychologist functions as your guide. He or she has a great deal of experience with a variety of problems and the best ways to solve those problems. So a psychologist can effectively help you get back on track. The idea of therapy, however, is that you do the work yourself as much as possible. This will give you valuable skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Many people discover so much about themselves and their abilities in therapy that they are much better able to deal with similar problems in the future. So therapy makes you mentally stronger.

4. Speak your mind

We sometimes get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we barely stop to think about how we actually feel. Many people barely talk about their emotions and are only slightly aware of them. In therapy, there is nothing else to do but to talk about your feelings and thoughts. Sometimes things come up that you didn’t even know were bothering you. Talking to a psychologist can be enormously relieving. See it as valuable time for yourself.

5. Maintaining your mental health

Even if nothing is actually specifically wrong, you would do well to talk to a psychologist from time to time. Just like a checkup with the doctor or dentist, this checks whether you are still on the right track. It’s like a check-up on your mental health. Am I still happy? In what area can I improve? How do I stay comfortable in my own skin? Therapy ensures that you do not lose sight of yourself, your norms and values, and what you find important.

What to talk about with a psychologist?

Nothing is too vague, too crazy, or too unimportant for a psychologist. You really don’t have to have severe psychological symptoms to go into therapy. For example, you can also talk to a psychologist if you:

  • worry a lot, worry often, or suffer from anxious thoughts or nightmares;
  • are uncertain, suffer from fear of failure, or often feel guilty;
  • don’t know exactly what you want in life or get stuck at work or school;
  • have trouble dealing with emotions, suffer from mood swings, or often feel down;
  • are overly tired, feel sluggish, or suffer from stress;
  • need help with making an important choice or entering a new phase of life.

A psychologist hears an awful lot of different stories every day. Whatever you are struggling with, you are not alone. By going to a psychologist for therapy once in a while, you will feel good about yourself again.

 

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    The benefits of online therapy

    Online therapy, internet therapy, or e-health: there is an increasing demand for psychological treatments via the internet. Is this because more and more people have psychological problems? Probably not. It has more to do with the fact that the taboo on mental health care is getting smaller. And because of the many advantages of online therapy, more and more people are turning to professional help in time.

    Accessible

    It used to be that you first had to go to the family doctor for a referral to a therapist. Saying that you are not doing well and that you would like a referral is different. Therefore, for many people, getting help was a big step. With online therapy, this problem is largely solved. The low threshold ensures that people are more likely to get help. As a result, a larger group of people now receives help. Moreover, better results are achieved through earlier intervention.

    Available

    Whether you live in a remote area, have no transportation, or are housebound, an online therapist is always available. All you need is an internet connection. That saves you travel time and costs. If you choose online therapy via email or chat, you don’t even need to arrange a date or time with your therapist. You can then start therapy completely in your own time.

    Flexible

    Many online therapists are also available in the evenings or on weekends. They are not tied to the opening hours of their practice. They may also be working remotely and from a different time zone themselves. That can be very advantageous. This flexibility is very practical if you have little time or a constantly changing schedule. This way you can still schedule regular meetings.

    Location-independent

    Online therapy is a godsend for people living abroad. Because it is completely location-independent, you can see a therapist who speaks the same language as you without any fuss. It’s available wherever you are in the world. This is also ideal if you travel a lot for work, have a nomadic lifestyle, or are often on vacation. This way you don’t have to interrupt your therapy every time you go abroad.

    Trusted

    A major advantage of online therapy is the fact that you can do it from home. At home, you undoubtedly feel most comfortable. You are not distracted, can concentrate better, and probably dare to be more open about what is going on. This way you can get to the core of a problem faster and the treatment will be most effective. Moreover, after a session, you can stay on your own couch and let the conversation sink in. What a comfort!

    Professional

    The team at The Online Therapists consists of professionally trained therapists with at least five years of experience. Each therapist has his or her own specialty, which means that you will quickly find the right therapist for you. Online therapists are, therefore, very capable of treating and curing a diverse range of complaints. Think of:

    • stress and burn-out complaints
    • anxiety or panic attacks
    • depression
    • grief processing
    • trauma treatment
    • relationship problems
    • sexual problems
    • eating disorders

    Effective

    There is now quite a bit of research on the effectiveness of online therapy. Does it work as well as regular therapy? The answer is yes. Most forms of treatment use talking techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy. This can be done perfectly well over the phone or as a video call. Many clients experience the same personal connection with their therapist as they do in the office.

    In addition, some people find it more beneficial to write down their story via email or chat. Writing gives you time to think about your words and, therefore, has a therapeutic effect. It also gives you the opportunity to read back your own story and the answers from your therapist.

    Low cost

    It varies from provider to provider, but the cost of online therapy is usually lower than that of regular therapy. After all, the therapist can also perform his or her work inexpensively and easily from home. Also, early intervention sometimes reduces the costs. Because many people have easy access to online therapy, treatments are less invasive and shorter. So you also save money!

    Without waiting list

    There are still long waiting lists in mainstream health care. It can take weeks or months before you can finally see a care provider. In that period psychological problems can seriously worsen. At The Online Therapists, you can start with online therapy immediately. This is also a good interim solution if you prefer ‘offline’ therapy, but want to bridge the gap while you are on the waiting list.

    Are you curious if online therapy will suit you? Feel free to schedule an informal consultation. We are happy to answer all your questions.

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      The difference between stress, overwork, and burnout

      Everyone is busy these days and has to deal with stress. We all know someone who is overworked or ‘sitting at home with burnout’. Stress-related terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech. But there are important differences. How do you recognize stress, overwork, and burnout? And at what stage should you sound the alarm?

      Stress

      Stress is something we all deal with from time to time. When that big deadline kept getting closer or when you had taken on that extra project. Or that time when an unexpected situation arose that demanded a lot of attention. Stress is usually short-lived. Often you can look forward to the moment when your life will become less stressful – as soon as that big deadline has been turned in, for example.

      Persistent stress

      Sometimes stressful situations keep presenting themselves or we ourselves are not able to take rest properly. The tension caused by stress is then permanent. You are constantly under pressure and this manifests itself in various mild stress symptoms:

      • An agitated feeling.
      • Worrying and sleeping problems, and as a result, fatigue.
      • Difficulty concentrating, causing your performance to deteriorate and the quality of your work to decline.
      • Mood swings, which make you irritable and your social contacts suffer.
      • Headaches, stomach aches, or neck and shoulder problems.
      • An increase in the use of alcohol or medication to temporarily suppress the symptoms.

      Reduce stress

      Do you recognize yourself in these symptoms? Then raise the alarm immediately. It is probably not yet necessary to seek professional help, but it is important that you remove the source of the stress as much as possible. Talk to your boss, outsource a big project, stop certain activities or simply take more time for yourself.

      Overwork

      If stress continues for too long, it can turn into overwork. We often only notice this when something unexpected happens that we can no longer cope with. The stress symptoms then increase in severity and really start to get in the way of your functioning. Symptoms of overwork are:

      • anxiety and panic symptoms, hyperventilation or palpitations
      • dejection and sudden fits of crying
      • a feeling of exhaustion
      • memory problems, forgetfulness, and confusion
      • hypersensitivity to external stimuli
      • strange physical symptoms, such as tingling muscles, impaired vision, or tinnitus
      • increased blood pressure
      • bowel problems

      Overwork therapy

      When you are overworked, it is clear that something needs to change about the situation. The good news is that this is also quite possible. Being overworked is relatively easy to reverse: as soon as you remove the source of the stress, the ‘overworkedness’ often disappears within a few weeks. It is wise, however, to seek help from a therapist. A therapist can guide you in this process and give you tips to ensure that you avoid too much stress in the future.

      Burnout

      If you continue to ignore overwork, you are seriously depleting your body. Overwork then slowly turns into burnout. When overwork ends and burnout begins is not clearly defined. The complaints and symptoms are largely the same. The difference between the two is the degree of physical exhaustion of your body. If you continue to ignore your limits for years, all your energy reserves are eventually used up. This can have serious consequences:

      • a complete inability to perform the simplest of tasks
      • serious physical disabilities
      • extreme hypersensitivity to stimuli, such as from visitors, music, or television
      • feelings of fear of failure, low self-esteem, and depression

      Treating burnout

      Refueling for a while is no longer the solution in the case of burnout. Burnout is not easily reversible. Some people with burnout, therefore, have to stop working for more than a year. Although recovery is all about rest, expert guidance from a therapist is essential. Burnout is caused by years of ignoring your own limits. You need to figure out how this could have happened to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future. In therapy, you learn to change your beliefs, thoughts, and behavior and to adopt a new lifestyle. With that new lifestyle, you will maintain control of your energy and the direction of your life in the future.

       

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