Self help
When do you need therapy?
People need therapy to help them with emotional problems. Holistic therapy goes a step further and incorporates the mind-body-soul connections. My methods are adept at providing holistic therapies to help people with their complex life problems.
WHEN SELF-HELP MAY BE ENOUGH
Honestly, most problems don’t need therapy. It is overkill. However, something needs to be done when a person is really bothered by something in life. In fact, instead of therapy, self-help may be enough and starts in a bookstore where many helpful books can be seen on shelves. So, I always advise people to start slowly and talk a lot with friends and read articles and books.
There is also a lot of information available on the internet. Some good and some not so good. Social media provides a lot of advice. Experts provide a lot of advice. The problem is always that there is too much advice from too many people. So, the problem may become choosing which advice is the best advice. Here are some resources that may be helpful on some important topics.
SUICIDE, CHILD ABUSE & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ADDICTION, DEPRESSION & MEDICATION
GOING BEYOND THE PROBLEM
Naming the Problem
Giving something a name has a lot of benefits but also a few downsides. One main benefit is that any name begins to give boundaries to what a person is experiencing. Here’s the question, “Can you make the problem smaller just by what you call it?” That is one benefit of giving a problem a diagnosis. A diagnosis is a scientific way of naming a problem. There is no magic to giving a problem a diagnosis. In fact, therapists get a lot of training in knowing how to properly diagnose problems.
A lot of people feel a lot of relief in knowing the diagnosis of a problem. The catch is to get the right diagnosis. And the reality is that it isn’t always a piece of cake. It is an “art-science” with a lot of subjectivity mixed in with objectivity. That’s why training is necessary in getting the diagnosis right. As much as people can get relief from getting a diagnosis, it can lead to more problems than relief. More problems occur when the name suggests a dire condition thus leading to a lot of needless worry. The first adage for mental health professionals: “First of all, do no harm.”
So, give a name and keep it as benign as possible. That will keep the problem as small as possible.
Keeping it Small
Keep it small. That’s it: keep it small. In solving problems, keeping it small will make it doable. Starting small means that it is important to have as few assumptions as possible on what is necessary to solve the problem. Sometimes, all that is necessary is to read self-help books. But that’s easier said than done because there are way, way too many self-help books. So, it might be smart to start with just a few self-help books. That way, a person won’t be overwhelmed with too much information. I know that it sounds strange to say that there might be too much information.
However, too much information can lead to a lot of confusion. The goal is to get just enough information to get started but not to get confused. That means that it’s important to start with one solution at a time. What all this means is that the goal is to get a small name followed by a small solution.
It may be a good idea to stop using self-help books if they don’t work. That means that there just may be too many books on names and solutions. Then it’s time to turn to therapists to give you some direction. Good therapists will follow the same advice. Keep it small, keep it simple. Well, let’s start with getting beyond self-help books.
WHEN SELF HELP BOOKS & BLOGS AREN'T ENOUGH
People need therapy to help them with emotional problems. Despite the effort to start with small problems, small diagnoses, and small solutions, it may be necessary to consider a more complex understanding of what is causing the emotional pain. If you’re ready to invest in yourself, book an appointment with me today.