Can you be too busy for therapy? When life gets hectic, it can feel like you don’t have the time, resilience, resources, or vulnerability to go to a therapy appointment. You might gawk at the costs of getting in touch with a counselor, and conclude that therapy isn’t for you. There’s a lot that goes into getting the right help, and the prospect of making the wrong decision can be intimidating. But if you find the right counselor for you, then therapy can change your life.

“The principle aim of psychotherapy is not to transport one to an impossible state of happiness, but to help (the client) acquire steadfastness and patience in the face of suffering.” – Carl Jung

When Is Therapy Not Helpful?

Therapy can be a transformative experience, but there are a lot of factors that can get in the way of making progress. If you or your counselor isn’t bringing the necessary wisdom and attention to your sessions, then therapy can be an unhelpful exercise. Here are a few reasons that therapy might not be working for you. 

• I don’t know how to communicate! It might seem impossible, but lots of people go their whole lives communicating without a thought, and that includes at the therapist’s office. This can be damaging enough in our personal lives, but if we go to therapy communicating thoughtlessly, then therapy will not be helpful to us.
• I’m scared to open up! It makes a lot of sense to fear vulnerability, especially if we’ve been hurt before. Nobody likes to talk about their biggest pains and insecurities, least of all with a stranger. However, confronting that fear is necessary if we want to actually do something with the time we’re spending in therapy.
• I’m not connecting with my therapist! Finding the right counselor can be tough, and there’s a lot of conflicting information that leads us astray. Online therapy providers claim to make the process of connecting with a therapist easier, but they do so by matching you up with counselors who might never show their face or learn your name. 

How Can I Not Waste My Time In Therapy? 

Online counselors like BetterHelp position their services as being a straightforward upgrade over traditional talk therapy, but the truth is that most of the real progress you can make in therapy isn’t going to happen over a chat client. Our psyche is a delicate and complicated piece of machinery. Healing the maladies of the mind is something that requires nuance and attention. 

Using these quick fix online platforms is like putting on a band-aid. There are certainly times when your wounds could be helped by the application of a band-aid, but it’s not going to mend a broken bone or stitch an open wound. If you don’t want to waste your time in therapy, then it behooves you to seek out an appointment with a therapist the old fashioned way.

“In wisdom gathered over time, I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.” – Ansel Adams

How Do You Know If Therapy Is For You?

That isn’t to say that online therapy is without merit! There’s lots of progress to be had in online therapy, but the faceless anonymous production-line therapy that gets marketed to us isn’t where it’s happening. Lots of therapists use online therapy to great effect in their practice, including the ones at Integrative Counsel! 

Here’s what our clinician Lauren has to say:

It often feels like life throws a never ending barrage of time consuming curveballs our way. Between bills to pay, mouths to feed, and a multitude of roles we fill like mother, employee, employer, driver, maid, chef, you name it….Starting therapy may fall low on the list of priorities. But did you know there is a growing consensus of research showing the role of our central nervous systems in a host of chronic diseases such as autoimmune disorders? Our health is our wealth. Taking time to work on ourselves is one of the best ways to improve how we show up in the world in all our roles- especially for those we love most. 

Did you know that the American Psychological Association’s research shows that teletherapy is equally effective as in-person therapy for treating a wide range of mental health conditions including Depression and Anxiety?

Telehealth can provide the support you’ve been wanting from the comfort of your own home without worrying about drive times, directions, or child-care. If you don’t take time to care for your well being no one else will. Take the telehealth plunge today. 

 If you feel stuck on your healing journey, working with a therapist can help. Based on your needs, our intake specialist will help you get matched up with your perfect therapist. Click here to schedule a consultation.

Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.