Most people can benefit from psychotherapy/counseling at some time in their lives. Some of us suffer from mental illnesses that may require long-term commitments to medication and on-going psychotherapy.
Many more of us have times in our lives when we simply are not coping or functioning optimally. Sometimes this ‘dysfunction’ might be due to the death of a loved family member or friend. When we grieve we may not be coping with daily life for sometimes lengthy periods of time. We feel overwhelmed, lonely, sad, depressed, angry, as well as many other feelings that prevent us from living life to its fullest. We might believe we will never again find that joy in life to which I’m always referring.
We may also have what might be called life-transition situations that cause us not to cope well with life. Relationship difficulties or divorce can cause ‘dysfunction’ that interrupts our ability to cope. The loss of a job, a catastrophic financial problem, home foreclosure, or a medical problem are some the many negative life-transitions that can bring on coping difficulties.
Even good and wanted life-transitions can negatively impact our emotional life. A promotion at work, getting married, buying new house, the birth of a child, children growing up (empty nest issues) or relocation to a new – maybe warm and sunny – location are some generally happily anticipated life-transitions that can cause us to need some help from a professional psychotherapist/counselor.