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Why Self-Pay for Therapy?
For anyone who’s curious about whether or not they could benefit from therapy, there’s one way to tell for sure: Are you breathing? Great. You need therapy.
All joking aside, all of us can benefit from therapy at one point or another. No matter who you are or what you have, the road gets bumpy and scary at times.
If you’re hoping to get support through a challenge you’ve been facing, and are wondering whether to self-pay or use your insurance, here are some of the benefits of paying out of pocket for therapy.
Couples Counseling: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Made a wrong turn? The quicker you realize that and course correct, the less likely you are to get lost. Most of us know this, yet there’s one place that many do not apply it. If you guessed relationships, you guessed right.
We all know the abysmal stats on the divorce rate in this country. So why isn’t more being done about it?
A relationship of any kind takes effort, and marriage is no different. The best way to avoid divorce and actually enjoy your union is, don’t wait too long to try and save it!
Here are some of the early warning signs your relationship could be heading toward divorce, and what you can do now—yes, right now—to prevent that from happening.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which begs an honest question: what is mental health, really?
In a nutshell, mental health encompasses our inner world. It includes things like psychological and emotional well-being, as well as the nature of our relationships to others.
To be a human being is to experience ups and downs. Incredible highs, and difficult lows. Mental health awareness month shines a light on the reality that everyone struggles mentally from time to time, it’s completely normal. No one is immune.
And because of that, therapy is something everyone can benefit from.
When Mother’s Day is Hard
Depending on what is or isn’t happening for you in the bedroom, this may or may not come as a surprise: Around 40 million Americans exist in a sexless marriage.
This is troubling to hear, especially given the consequences that arise from lack of sex and general intimacy inside a marriage. What’s going on, and how can we fix this?
Are you in a sex-starved marriage?
Let’s start from the beginning.
The Sex-Starved Marriage
Depending on what is or isn’t happening for you in the bedroom, this may or may not come as a surprise: Around 40 million Americans exist in a sexless marriage.
This is troubling to hear, especially given the consequences that arise from lack of sex and general intimacy inside a marriage. What’s going on, and how can we fix this?
Are you in a sex-starved marriage?
Let’s start from the beginning.
How to Choose a Good Therapist
Deciding to see a therapist is a powerful decision. It’s a conscious choice to change your life for the better.
It’s a decision to relieve yourself of inner burdens, pain, and reestablish your relationship to self. This choice has a positive impact on your life, and the lives of everyone you hold near and dear. The tools, discoveries, boundaries, and everything else that you’ll learn and model have the capacity to undo generational trauma, and provide the space and insight to heal from past transgressions.
Here’s the thing though. You want to find the right therapist. A professional you’re comfortable with who encourages, supports, and yes—even challenges you once in a while.
Therapy Options: How Do I Know Who I Am Working With?
Before getting into the meat of this piece, let’s all raise our glasses to this: Once thought of as a shameful topic never discussed, mental health and therapy are shedding some of their old stigma, and becoming almost a buzz word of sorts.
More and more people casually mention that they’re in therapy, and it’s encouraging to see so many folks seeking the treatment and support they need. So, cheers to that!
Now, here’s where it gets a little messy. What are your therapy options?
The Physical Benefits of Mental Health Treatment
There’s no disputing the mind-body connection. If you’ve experienced depression or anxiety, you know: You can actually feel it in your body. There’s that uneasy gnawing it in the pit of your stomach, or pressure in your chest.
Of all the powerful impacts therapy has, perhaps one of the most transformative is the way it increases overall health—mentally and physically.
Here are some of the biggest ways that therapy can not only help your mental health, but have an incredibly positive impact on your physical wellbeing as well.
Trauma Treatment: What is EMDR and Brainspotting?
As anyone who’s experienced any form of trauma knows, it lingers. The fear response, the flashbacks and the nightmares insist on sticking around, casting a shadow over everything.
There’s a line in the sand separating life before and life after the incident.
The good news for those who’ve already experienced it is there’s something you can do about it: EMDR and Brainspotting are two of the leading modalities showing favorable outcomes in treating PTSD.
But what are they, and how do they help?
How to Nurture Healthy Relationships
Regular supportive, open and honest communication is the secret sauce, the magic pill, the wand… it’s everything in a happy and healthy relationships.
If it feels like your connection is slipping—or it slipped a long time ago and you desperately need help—couple’s counseling is your best course of action. It’s truly one of the most valuable resources available to reach that elusive fairytale happily after. And if the relationship is beyond repair, it’s an excellent way to regroup and learn what you need from a significant other.
Bad Habits That Affect Mental Health
Habits—bad ones especially—are sneaky. They take time to build, and during that process there are things that happen “behind the scenes” that reinforce their power. Bad habits that lead to us feeling better in the moment are especially powerful, and can be really hard to break.
Not all of these things listed are inherently “bad” when done in moderation. A sleepless night or a couple months of being busy are normal parts of life.
The key is to be honest with yourself and aware of where you are—what you’re doing and how you’re spending your time—and make the necessary adjustments, no judgment.
Here are some of the biggest habits that can negatively impact mental health.
Symptoms of Anxiety and OCD (and What You Can Do)
You’re on the way to a job interview when all of a sudden, the burner!
You don’t remember shutting off the burner on your stove.
You feel the prickly wash of panic charge through your body as you frantically cobble together memories, searching desperately for a specific one: you shutting off the burner.
The memory’s nowhere to be found.
Instead, you’re thinking of the pan. You feel your panic escalate. Did you wash and put away the pan or is it still on the burner?!
Your mind catapults into the worst-case scenario. At this point, the pan would have caught fire. You can practically see the flames as they grow, tickling the upper cabinets as thick choking black smoke starts filling the kitchen.
The Importance of Creativity and Novelty in Relationships
As a parent, your child’s wellbeing is hands down your number one priority. You’ve bandaged cuts and attended to bruises with loving care, doing your best to comfort your child—all the while wishing there was more you could do. Learn how to take care of your children’s mental health.
If your child is struggling one of the best things you can do is be proactive in getting your child help from a trained play therapist.
How to Take Care of Your Children’s Mental Health
As a parent, your child’s wellbeing is hands down your number one priority. You’ve bandaged cuts and attended to bruises with loving care, doing your best to comfort your child—all the while wishing there was more you could do. Learn how to take care of your children’s mental health.
If your child is struggling one of the best things you can do is be proactive in getting your child help from a trained play therapist.
Do This Before You Walk Down the Aisle
If only there was something you could do to give your marriage a better chance. You’d do it, right? Especially knowing that nobody gets married with the intention of getting a divorce.
Well thankfully, there is. Everyone who’s about to get married needs to know, premarital counseling significantly decreases divorce rates.
Reach out to start your healing journey today