How Do I Know If I Need to Go to Therapy?

Reaching out for help and deciding to go to therapy is a difficult decision to make. Often times when I meet my clients for the first time they are feeling anxious about being there in therapy. My clients don’t know what to expect and even have the fear that I as their therapist, will think they don’t need therapy or just the opposite that they are too much to handle. 

I totally understand the fear that a therapist will dismiss your problems as insignificant or share confusion on why you thought you needed therapy in the first place. I want you to know I’ve been in practice for almost a decade, and not even once has that thought crossed my mind with a client. Never have I had a client sit in front of me, and I have considered that they didn’t actually need or deserve to be there in therapy. If you want help and to improve your life, you deserve to be in therapy. 

There are other signs or symptoms you may experience in your life that might show you could benefit from attending therapy. I would like to share with you some but not all of what those may be. 

You want to go to therapy 

First a foremost if you want to go to therapy, you should go to therapy. People that voluntarily want to go to therapy and are willing to do whatever it takes to get feeling better are the ones that benefit the most from therapy. If you’ve ever been curious about therapy and wondered if it’s for you, it probably is. Therapy is for everyone. Therapy doesn’t mean you are crazy or mentally unstable. Therapy can be helpful for anyone at different stages of their lives. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of getting help or think what you are struggling with isn’t bad enough but honestly, it's better to get help before it gets too bad or overwhelming. 

You are interested in improving your life

I may be biased but I believe one of the best tools for improving your life is therapy. Self-help books are great and I recommend them with the therapy process but it’s hard to work on things all on your own. Therapy allows you to have a third party share their perspective on your life and blind spots you may be missing. It’s an opportunity for you to heal from past experiences and negative beliefs that you may not even realize are impacting your life. It’s easy to tell ourselves that we are over past experiences and they don’t impact us anymore but that’s not always true. Regardless, I believe those I work with deserve to have the best life they possibly can without the past hanging over their heads. 

You want to improve your relationships 

It is sometimes surprising to people that individual therapy can have a big fat impact on our relationships for the better. I am not a couples therapist but I see it all the time that as my clients work through their past and trauma they have better relationships with their partners and family members. When they are feeling better about themselves and their lives, they have more room and opportunities to connect with loved ones. My clients also don’t always realize how much of their past experiences carry over into how they respond in their present relationships. Even when you know your relationship needs the help of a couples of therapist, it still greatly benefits you also to be working on yourself as an individual. 

You find it difficult to cope with symptoms of anxiety

It’s a struggle when life suddenly feels more difficult than it used to. Sometimes it’s confusing why the way you used to deal with stress doesn’t work anymore. My clients have shared confusion in the past on why things that happened a long time ago that haven’t bothered them in a long time are suddenly bothering them again. It’s hard when life surprises you with new challenges. This is pretty normal for the women I work with and for those that have experienced trauma without realizing it was trauma. Therapy can help you work through the things that are bothering you and find new ways to cope with stress. 

You’re going through a hard time

There are many difficult things to go through as a human. You may have experienced the death of someone you love, stress at work, or a strained relationship with a family member or friend, and you may feel more anxious and sad. All of these are hard things to cope with on your own. Seeing a therapist can make a big difference if you are going through a hard time. Sometimes it even helps to say what you are struggling with and have a trained therapist help you through it. I truly wish everyone could go to therapy or give it a try if they have the financial means to do so. It’s surprising how much it makes a difference in your life. If you are thinking about going to therapy, I hope you'll take the risk and try it. When you find a good therapist that knows how to treat what you are struggling with it can be absolutely life-changing. 

Looking for anxiety therapy near Provo, Utah

You don’t have to keep dealing with feelings of anxiousness. Anxiety therapy can help your life feel more manageable. This Provo Utah area counseling clinic has an anxiety therapist specializing in anxiety treatment. To begin anxiety therapy, follow the steps below:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Complete online forms and schedule the first session with a therapist for anxiety

3. Begin therapy

Other mental health services provided near Provo, Utah

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only therapy service provided at this Northern Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include trauma therapy, eating disorder therapy, birth trauma therapy, body image therapy, and binge eating disorder treatment in Utah.

about the author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah County. Ashlee has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a bachelor’s in family life and human development from Utah State University. She received a master’s degree in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee enjoys working with women with high-functioning anxiety who are willing to do whatever it takes to feel better. She helps women with social anxiety, performance anxiety, and dating anxiety. When Ashlee isn’t in therapy, she is probably playing fetch with her Goldendoodle at the Spanish Fork Dog Park.

Other blog posts from Maple Canyon Therapy you might find helpful :

• You Might Never Be Fully Ready: Why You Should Try Therapy Anyway

• Why Therapy Sucks: A Therapist’s Perspective

• 4 Reasons Why You Should Attend Therapy Every Week

• The Power Of Therapy: You Can Feel Better

• The Delight Of Online Therapy: 4 Reasons To Try It

• Having Hope and Doing The Work In Therapy

4 Reasons To Not Compliment Weight Loss: Advice From an Eating Disorder Therapist

“People think I look better when I’m thinner.” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that statement or some variation of that statement in therapy with the woman sitting across from me. Do you know what sucks about that? That is reality and not something they made up. People have given them attention and compliments when they’ve been at lower weights.  I don’t care at all whatever number my client weighs. The number that has no power over me has so much power over them, and sadly it’s because it’s been reinforced to them as better by the compliments that have been given them when they are at a lower weight. 

If you have read the post I wrote very recently “Why You Shouldn’t Comment on Anyone’s Body” you might have an idea how this topic is an area that I am passionate about. At the risk of saying the same thing I saA woman sitting down looking scared. This represents how at Maple Canyon Therapy, provides binge eating disorder treatment, eating disorder treatment, and body image therapy in Utah.id in that post, I wanted to dive into why complimenting weight loss specifically is a bad idea. I am an eating disorder therapist and even when I am working with women without eating disorders, I am working with women in general. I don’t think I have met a woman in my office that didn’t have some history or present struggle with body image. If you are reading this and have never struggled with body image, I would love to meet you!

Pointing out weight loss can have harmful effects

I am writing more about this because the women I work with deserve better, and so do you. I know most people aren’t trying to hurt people by complimenting weight loss. I think they are actually doing the opposite. They think they are being kind and praising their effort and their work. In the moment, it might feel good for people to hear but later it hurts to think about when they’ve gained the weight back or are terrified to eat more because they might gain the weight back. Most people because our bodies aren’t down with eating under what they need. Reasons why you shouldn’t compliment weight loss:

1. You might not realize that you are reinforcing that being thinner is better

As a society, we have been led to believe that being thin is the superior way of being. This is harmful because many people aren’t made to be thin. They have to do to great lengths that are natural and unhealthy to occupy a thin body. Making comments on weight loss continues to give others the message that it’s important to be thin. You also may not realize that you are giving attention to a person who has lost weight that you didn’t give before. Nobody likes that feeling. People will begin equating weight loss with attention. 

2. Complimenting weight loss encourages disordered eating. 

Remember we have no idea how a person who has lost weight has lost it. Healthy weight loss is pretty hard to come by. Pointing out weight loss as a positive thing reinforces that a person has to use disordered eating behaviors. Disordered eating behaviors take a major physical, emotional, and mental toll on people. Please don’t encourage someone to continue using these. I cannot tell you how painful it is for my clients to try and work through this. 

3. Complimenting weight loss is giving the person the message they didn’t look good before. 

As I have said before, complimenting weight loss reinforces that a person is more valuable when they are thinner. I have countless conversations with women who have this reaction. They tell me that people in their lives have told them how good they look after losing weight and they begin to believe that their spouse or partner likes them better the thinner they are. There are many reasons that I don’t even point out weight loss ever, and this is one of them. The people in my life have the same value to me regardless of the number on the scale, and I’m sure you feel the same. Make sure you aren’t subtly giving the message that attraction is based on weight loss or being thin.

4. You might be complimenting an illness or an eating disorder. 

We don’t know how people lost weight. People lose weight because they are very sick, and complimenting that breaks my heart. I have had several people in my life be incredibly ill and what did people notice? The weight loss. If you don’t know, this is messed up. People also can be losing weight as a result of having an eating disorder and might be working on getting enough courage to get help. They might be working on getting adequate nutrition, and making comments about their body will become a barrier. Eating disorders cause so much physical and emotional damage and complimenting their side effects is not helpful. Many people believe they are complimenting “health” when they are complimenting weight loss. Health means a lot of different things and when someone is sick or has an eating disorder this is obviously not healthy. 

I never mean to be harsh, and sometimes learning you’ve been doing things that aren’t helpful really sucks. We don’t always know when we are contributing to a greater problem. I know I have made the same mistakes before knowing better, and I regret the things I have said so so much. All you and I can do at this point is to realize our own beliefs about weight and body size. That’s our stuff to work through if we continue to idealize a thinner body. 

Eating disorder therapy for when you’re struggling

If you are struggling with how you feel about your body, disordered eating behaviors, or think you might have an eating disorder, therapy can help. Working through how you feel about your body image and managing your anxiety better is possible. A lot goes into eating disorder recovery, but the first step is reaching out for help. I love working with women who struggle with disordered eating and who are ready to do whatever it takes to get better

Looking for eating disorder therapy in Utah?

I promise you don’t have to struggle with your eating or your body image for the rest of your life. Eating disorder treatment can help. This Northern Utah Counseling Practice has an eating disorder therapist that can help. To begin therapy, follow these steps:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Meet with a body image therapist

3. Begin eating disorder therapy

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah

When you are struggling with an eating disorder, it’s important that you receive help from someone that has specialized training in eating disorder treatment. I know this isn’t always easy or convenient, as many parts of Utah don’t have access to this. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. This allows you to meet with an eating disorder therapist from the comfort of your home without traveling or commuting.

Online counseling also means that we can work together wherever you are in Utah. I work with clients in Logan, Salt Lake City, St. Goerge, Cedar City, Heber, and more.

Other services offered at Maple Canyon Therapy Services

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Utah County Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include binge eating disorder treatment, body image therapy, birth trauma therapy, trauma therapy, and anxiety therapy in Utah.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a Utah therapist and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah County. Ashlee has been working with women with eating disorders since she was a graduate student working at Utah State University Counseling and Psychological Services as a student therapist. This is where she decided to work with women with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body-image. Ashlee believes eating disorder recovery is possible and likes to help empower women with the tools they need to get better. Ashlee has two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Utah University in psychology and family life and human development. She received her masters in social work from Utah State University. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she enjoys spending time outside and taking her dogs to Strawberry Reservoir.