I am a firm believer that everybody, no matter who you are or what you do, will, from time to time, need support in working through concerns or events that arise throughout life.
These concerns or events may be obvious or not. For example, somebody may feel unhappy without knowing the reason. Think of it this way, from time to time our bodies need rest, repair and occasionally, the support of qualified medical practitioners. The reason that we know that we may need any of these is that the body sends signals to the brain for processing which then tell us that we need to rest, repair or seek professional support.
With daily living, stressors and traumas, it is logic then that it would be the same for our minds……
Information on changes within the environment is detected by our senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste, proprioception). This information is sent to the brain for processing and directs us to react accordingly to adapt to the changes. If we are unable to do this, if we feel we are unable to cope with the change or if our senses detect something that reminds us (even subconsciously) or a negative/difficult experience that we have had in the past, we may need to seek some support. Just because we cannot see this process, or, the impact of stress or trauma is not evident straight away, it does not mean that it does not happen.
Fortunately, developments in neuroscience are showing us that stress and/or trauma do impact the brain and our bodies and just what these impacts are. As more people are speaking about, and sharing their experiences, society is learning that our beliefs around mental health, strengths and weaknesses are inaccurate.
One of the most important things about seeking support is its quality. It is vital that support comes from a qualified, highly skilled professional who does not hold judgement or bias, has a genuine interest in each of their clients, values individuality and, is passionate in working collaboratively and safely through client difficulties. It is ok to inquire if a therapist is qualified in the area of support that you are seeking. We all have different areas of interest and specialities.
Although practitioners are bound by their regulatory body’s ethics and principles to do no harm, it is very important to ask questions before attending therapy to satisfy yourself that you have made an informed decision on whether the therapist is the right fit for you. Remember, you are the one who is requesting a service and therefore, you have the right to feel comfortable and get the best service you can.
