5 reasons to start talk therapy
5 Reasons Why Talk Therapy Is Essential for Mental and Physical Well-Being
When we think of your health as a whole, we think of the body, the mind, and the greater context of your experience as an individual. Whether you are describing mostly physical symptoms or mostly mental health complaints, in a naturopathic session we often end up addressing both! Therapy feels almost trendy these days, but it’s for good reason. If we are thinking about our health, we can’t ignore our mindset and emotions.
The brain and body don’t exist as separate from one another - our mental health cannot be easily separated from our physical health. Often, those with concerns that are primarily mental, find themselves with physical symptoms. Likewise, physical concerns can manifest or be worsened by our mental health challenges. Either way, therapy is often part of well-rounded healthcare.
Here’s 5 reasons we send you to our psychotherapist
You are experiencing a “functional” disorder – one with no medical explanation
Your scans and scopes come back totally clear, no one can figure out what’s wrong, or maybe you have a few overlapping concerns – we often recommend therapy. This is not because the pain or symptoms are in your head.
Pain is the interpretation of nervous signals in our body – it’s how our brain makes sense of what we are experiencing. An example of this is how trauma survivors are much more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia than the average person. Our experiences can shape how threatening situations or stimuli are interpreted by our body. Both physical and mental support are important in these cases.
2. You have received a chronic diagnosis
Physical conditions – especially those that are chronic – also impact a person’s life, how they plan for the future, how they navigate their day-to-day. This psychological side of medical diagnoses can often be underestimated. Conditions that may impact your fertility or family planning, that will require lifelong medication, that require adaptations to your routine etc. can benefit from additional support.
3. You are experiencing a mood disorder
This one seems obvious, but many mental health conditions – including anxiety and depression – have some physical symptoms in their diagnostic criteria. Sometimes patients end up in our office with physical symptoms of mental health concerns – think, chest discomfort, sweating, lightheadedness, fatigue etc. We, of course, rule out or treat physical symptoms too but because we tend to prioritize physical symptoms in our medical model, and because these symptoms can sometimes be intense, mental health can be overlooked or masked.
4. Your job stress, family pressures, relationships are impacting your physical health
One of the greatest barriers we see to improving your health is too much of our energy on tasks that you don’t value or people who drain you - while having little left to give for yourself. Therapy can be helpful in navigating our goals, exploring ourselves and our values, learning to set boundaries, and managing interpersonal conflict.
5. You are experiencing life transition
Many people seek physical care when they are at a crossroads or major transition in their life. Maybe a big birthday, the birth of your baby, a divorce, a job change etc. This is often when people are eager to make changes in their physical health! These life events or times of change can also be important times to seek more support from a mental health perspective as well.
So what does “therapy” really mean?
There are a number of forms of therapy - offered by therapists with a variety of qualifications. Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the most well-researched forms of therapy which has grown to include a group of therapies including mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Often, a part of therapy is to shift the way we think or behave – in a way that makes sense for you. A therapist may help you organize, understand and even free yourself from difficult emotions through use of appropriate tools and strategies.
Our psychotherapist, Nicole, focuses on developing a collaborative relationship and a space for you to speak openly and without judgment. Using a client-centered approach, she integrates therapeutic modalities like cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and solution-focused therapy to tailor her approach to meet your specific needs and goals.
An important part of treating the whole person is knowing that you are the expert of your own life. A therapist can hold space to help unpack past experiences, set intentional goals, and/or focus on specific challenges.
Want to explore more how therapy can potentially support your well-being? Book a meet and greet appointment with Nicole to learn more about her approach.