Have you ever felt as though there’s simply too much for you to handle? Too many deadlines, too many stressors, too many issues? If so, you are not alone.
In 2021, a survey conducted by AIA on Singaporeans’ state of mental health one year after the pandemic was declared found that 91 per cent of the respondents reported a decline in their state of mental health, with Major Depressive Disorders and anxiety being the most prevalent mental health conditions amongst Singaporeans. These numbers highly show how common such mental health conditions are and how often these issues can become debilitating.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is an intervention that involves collaboration and partnership between an individual and their psychologist. Using the fundamentals of dialogue (aka talk therapy), psychotherapy offers the individual a supportive environment and the opportunity to communicate openly with someone who is non-judgmental, neutral, and objective.
With the support of their psychologist, the individual learns to identify the root cause of the difficulties they are facing and work through it together by pinpointing and changing behaviours and thought patterns that hold the individual back from being their best self. Through psychotherapy, psychologists enable individuals of all ages to live healthier, more productive, and happier lives.
There are several approaches that psychologists are experienced in using during a psychotherapy session. This includes interpersonal, cognitive-behavioural, and other forms of talk therapy. The aim of psychotherapy is to ensure that the individual not only solves the issue they came with but also develops new skills to handle future challenges better.
When is psychotherapy necessary?
There is no right or wrong time for psychotherapy.
In fact, a common misconception is that you need to be suffering from some kind of mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety, to go for therapy. Others may seek it to help cope with physical or emotional well-being that has been affected by chronic illnesses. Others may also seek it as they go through life struggles, such as divorce, a new career, a family’s demise, emotional abuse, or children moving out, and do not know what to do with their overwhelming emotions.
While this is true, psychotherapy is more than that.
In general, if you have been experiencing problems that have reduced your quality of life or feel that your mental well-being has a disruptive impact on your daily routine (e.g. work, social life), that your relationships and mood have been affected, or generally if you feel you are not living a meaningful life or one that is not according to your values, psychotherapy can help you.
Some signs that could warrant a psychotherapy visit are:
You feel overwhelmed by prolonged sadness and helplessness
Your issues do not seem to improve despite your friends and family’s help
You have difficulty concentrating on daily activities and work
You find yourself constantly worrying, fearing the worse, and on edge
You are being aggressive and harming not only yourself but also others as a result of alcohol consumption
What are the different kinds of psychotherapy?
Therapy will be different for everyone.
During the Intake session and through the course of therapy, you and your psychologist will jointly formulate and refine your therapeutic plan based on the information you provide.
This includes the type of psychotherapy.
While psychologists typically draw on one therapeutic approach, others tend to draw on a mix of different therapies to create one that best suits you – this is known as an eclectic approach. The theoretical perspective behaves like a roadmap that enables the psychologist to understand better the individual’s struggles.
For example, if your psychologist’s method is using cognitive-behavioural therapy, then the psychotherapy session might involve a practical approach, such as tackling specific tasks that were designed to enable the development of effective coping capabilities. You might also be given homework assignments between your sessions which include noting down how you react to an occurring situation, facing your fears, or reading up about specific topics.
In comparison, humanistic and psychoanalytic approaches might involve more talking than doing. A typical psychotherapy session using such an approach might see more discussions of prior experiences to help both you and your psychologist understand the root issue.
Conclusion
Asking for help and embarking on psychotherapy can feel daunting. However, it is, without a doubt, a rewarding process. No one’s psychotherapy experience is the same. All of them are different, but one thing for sure is that you will be supported emotionally and mentally every step of your journey.
If you need somebody professional to talk to and guide you in coping with your struggles, then do approach any of our psychologists at Annabelle Psychology. Besides psychotherapy, we also offer EAP services for employees, trauma and abuse therapy, as well as anxiety and mood disorder therapy, among others. For more information, you may visit us at https://www.annabellepsychology.com/.