• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Reasons to go to talk therapy

6 Reasons to Talk to a Therapist

Nov 11, 2021 |
By Courtney Gunn, PhD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Mental health issues are common. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 50% of people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder in their lifetime. A popular way to address and manage mental health issues is through talk therapy (also known as psychotherapy). It often involves a therapist and a patient talking in a private setting about the patient’s mental health concerns. Some therapies are offered in a group setting.

Therapy is recommended for everyone, even when everything seems to be going well for you, but there are some specific circumstances where talk therapy would be highly recommended. Here are five common reasons to see a therapist.

Reason 1: A significant life change. If you’ve moved from somewhere you’ve lived for a long time, this change can be disruptive on your mental health as you navigate building new routines and meeting new people. A relationship with a therapist can help you navigate these new challenges. Other significant changes include starting a new job or losing a job unexpectedly. The end of relationships, including family, friends or romantic relationships, can also be distressing and a good reason to speak with a therapist to process your emotions.

Reason 2: Suicidal thoughts. If you’re starting to experience thoughts of suicide, thinking about death a lot or creating a suicide plan, seek help. Note: While therapy is beneficial for people struggling with thoughts of suicide, therapy is not the best option for people in crisis. If you are in crisis, call a suicide helpline through phone, text, or online chat or call or visit the local emergency room. Once you are no longer in crisis, a therapist can help you move forward. Learn more about the signs of suicide in adults, men, and children.

Reason 3: Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a serious mood disorder that is very common. It can affect every aspect of your life including sleep, appetite, work and school, relationships with others and the way you think and perceive the world around you. There are different types of depression that can develop under unique circumstances (such as postpartum depression, which affects women after giving birth or seasonal affective disorder, which appears during seasonal changes every year). To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must persist for at least two weeks.

Reason 4: Anxiety affects millions of people in the United States alone. Anxiety can come in many forms, including social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorders, various phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and many others. Anxiety can cause significant issues with job or school performance, personal relationships and other daily activities. Having a conversation with a licensed therapist can help you manage the anxious feelings you may be dealing with.

Reason 5: Grief. If you’ve experienced the death of a loved one, therapy can help you handle this difficult time in your life with coping strategies and allowing you space to process your emotions.

Reason 6: It’s a gift to yourself. Having the opportunity to speak to a neutral party about yourself and have all the focus on you is a gift. Oftentimes we hesitate to talk to friends and family because of myriad reasons. Going to a therapist alleviates that pressure and allows you to be your whole authentic self to a captive audience. What a wonderful gift to give yourself.

It’s important to remember that this is not a complete list of reasons that people see therapists. If for any reason you feel you need to speak to someone, you should reach out to a mental health professional even if what you’re experiencing is not on this list.

What should you expect when you choose to see a therapist? Depending on the type of therapy you’re engaging in, you may speak with a therapist through video chat, text message services or traditionally in a therapist’s office. Therapy sessions typically last up to an hour. Depending on your needs and the type of therapy, other factors may be involved. Why should you see a therapist instead of talking to a family member or friend? Therapists are professionally trained to be a blank slate and are unbiased. You’re also more likely to be honest when talking to someone that you don’t know personally.

Learn more about Courtney Gunn, PhD and Ochsner Psychiatry & Mental Health Services.


Tags
therapy
mental health awareness
mental health
mental health treatment
mental health resources

You may also be interested in:

Covid 19 mental health tips
Mental Health
August 5, 2022

4 Tips for Maintaining Mental Health During COVID-19

Here are a few tips to cope with and maintain your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Courtney Gunn, PhD
Mother kissing her baby
Women's Health
August 5, 2022

Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness

Maternal mental health is a topic that is slowly gaining more traction in the healthcare community. With that being said, Black mothers are still very much underserved. If you are a Black mother, here are some tools to remember.
By Cassie Rockweiler, LCSW, MSW
Meditation for mental health
Mental Health
August 5, 2022

Can Meditation Help My Mental Health?

Meditation can help with common mental health struggles including stress, anxiety and depression.
By Courtney Gunn, PhD

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok

Healthy living tips newsletters, delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide