Starting Therapy – What to know and how to approach it

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Starting therapy can be overwhelming and often can take people time and a few tries. At Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center, we want to normalize that for you and provide you with some insights and tips to make the process a little easier. 

The thought of starting therapy can come from many things. Maybe we want to change behaviors that cause harm to ourselves or our loved ones, maybe we have suffered trauma that sticks with us and affects our life, or perhaps we just feel like we need some support and having a therapist in our life sounds like it could be beneficial.

No matter where you are starting from, there is often a moment of resistance within us. It could be from not feeling comfortable for asking for help or even the preconceived notion of costs associated with therapy. We are going to take some time to break down some of these notions and hopefully help you feel more comfortable with seeking the help that you are considering. 

“I’m okay, I’m not that bad.” 

Minimizing is often an inherited trait. Maybe we were told that we were a dramatic kid, and we always make mountains out of molehills. This called minimization and can be a huge barrier in people seeking all kinds of help. Whether it is physical or mental help you’re considering, no one knows your body and mind like you. You are the expert on yourself and are worthy of exploring your concerns with a trained professional.

“It costs too much.”

There are various ways to receive therapeutic services. Typically, the costliest way is often what is depicted in media; Private Practice therapy. This is a therapist that does not take insurance and charges a fee that works for them. Often these therapists do provide sliding scale or pro-bono services and if you feel drawn to a certain private practice therapist, it doesn’t hurt to reach out and ask if they are open to working with you and your budget.

​If you have insurance, you can call your insurance provider and ask to provide you a list of in network therapists that you can contact. If you don’t have insurance, there are still many options for you that can be cost friendly. For example, at Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center, we offer low to no cost services to our community without insurance and we are not the only ones. And if you are looking for government services, California has extensive programs that are usually county based that you can look in to as well.

“I’ve tried it, and it didn’t work for me.”

​Then there are the people that have tried therapy and it did not work for them. This is a common occurrence and it doesn’t mean that therapy isn’t for you. One of the most important things to consider when you start therapy is your connection with your therapist. If you don’t have a connection or you don’t think their method is landing with you after you have worked with them for a few sessions, it is completely fine to bring it up in session and ask if they have any references for a therapist that provides the kind of services you are looking for. Not every therapist is going to work for every person and that doesn’t mean therapy isn’t for you. 
 
Seeking therapy can be a process but once you find the right provider, it can be transformative. Whether you see a clinician in person or online, both are equally effective. Telehealth is a great option for people who are busy or in a remote area. The profession is moving toward making therapy as accessible as possible. The mental, physical, and financial barriers can be difficult but if you feel as though therapy could benefit you or your family, there are options, and Oak Creek is here to help normalize and provide resources that could help you move through them. 

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If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.

To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
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• Call our Intake Line at 1-408-320-5740​
• Contact a therapist directly. Contact information for each therapist is provided on his/her profile page.
• Email us at i[email protected]

Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected].
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Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page.