Is therapy for me?
What is therapy?
The goal of therapy is to directly address a problem with evidence-based tools and then learn these tools so that you’ll always have them at your disposal.
What is a problem?
Simply put, problems can be thought of as those times when we are not in our “okay” zone. We all know that life is filled with moments that are challenging, stressors. Most of the time we are able to address these stressors in our lives without changing who we are (i.e., we stay in our okay zone). Sometimes these stressors push us out of our okay zone. We notice a feeling being too intense or an individual close to us comments on how we don’t seem our usual self. Problems can be conceptualized into four categories: individual mood problems, habit / addiction problems, anger / relationship problems, and “non-problems.”
When to seek out a therapist.
Therapy is helpful for when we notice that there is something not okay. A problem is present that, try as we might, it doesn’t go away. It could be that we noticed a problem by the fact that we have lost motivation, are feeling down, feeling anxious, etc. The problem could be something that we have been battling for a long time. Therapy is for when you have decided you would like to address the problem head-on.
What does therapy look like?
Therapy can be divided into three distinct stages. The first stage is the “getting to know you,” which is the initial session, and usually lasts 45 to 50 minutes. The second stage is therapy, which will usually start with the second session, and sessions can vary from 25 to 45 minutes. The third part is the graduation stage, which is when we review what we did and plan for the future.
Accessing therapy
While this pandemic’s negative impacts are plenty, there has been a significant upside when it comes to accessing therapy at HHS. We now offer virtual visits in addition to in-person therapy. The virtual visits include secure audio and video session via the online platform Zoom.
Are you ready to address your problem head-on? If so, schedule your initial session by calling Heartland Health Services at 309/680-7600. We have three therapists (Cristy Tomaszewski, LCSW, Mary Jennifer Meister, LCSW, and John Ramirez, LCSW) at four locations (Carver, East Bluff, Garden, and Knoxville).
