Reasons to not contact a therapist

You might be thinking about seeking psychotherapy because "something" in your life isn't working or you just "don't feel right" but you haven't yet made that initial contact with a therapist because your mind is bombarding you with a whole list of reasons not to. These reasons may include:

1. I can’t afford it / it’s too expensive.

2. You’ll ask me to make really uncomfortable changes that’ll be too hard and stressful.

3. The process will be painful, uncomfortable, or scary.

4. I’m too busy to fit this into my life. I don’t have time.

5. I tried therapy before and didn’t get great results.

6. I can just go for a coffee with a trusted friend and talk to them. It's the same thing - and cheaper.

7. There’s no scientific evidence to support psychotherapy anyway.

8. You’re probably too busy to take me on as a client.

9. My problems are silly and not important enough.

10. You’ll probably overwhelm me with too much theory and I don’t want to feel stupid.

11. I don’t see testimonials or claims from others who had a great experience working with you.

12. You’ll probably find something out about me that’ll freak me out. I’m not sure I want to hear what you have to say about me.

13. Even if I do eventually get better, your approach will probably flare things up and cause even more discomfort/pain before I get the desired result.

14. I’m nervous I’ll have to commit to some long-term process to feel better.

Over the next few weeks, I will deal with each of these "reasons" individually and attempt to offer an alternative viewpoint.