How to Know if Therapy is Right for You:
7 Signs to Consider | Amority Health
By: Rachel Cooper, MS, LPC-Associate
Supervised by Amber Quaranta Leech, PHD, LPC-S
For: Amority Health - Blog - Shifting Perceptions
Feeling Overwhelmed by Daily Stress? You May Be Asking Yourself: Do I Need Therapy?
Life can feel like a constant balancing act; juggling work, family, and personal expectations. When striving for success begins to take a toll on your mental health, you may be asking yourself: Do I need therapy? If the stress of it all is starting to feel unmanageable, it may be a sign that it's time to pause and reflect. Therapy can offer a space to explore these stressors and provide tools to navigate them more effectively.
In this post, we’ll explore seven signs that may indicate therapy could be a helpful resource for you, especially if you’re dealing with imposter syndrome, perfectionism, burnout, or high-functioning anxiety. Understanding these signals can help you decide if therapy is a step worth considering.
1. You’re Feeling Burned Out and Lacking Energy
Burnout is more than just fatigue; it’s emotional and physical exhaustion that can leave you feeling drained, unmotivated, and sometimes disconnected from your goals. If you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed and mentally exhausted, it could be a sign that your current approach to stress is no longer working. Therapy can help you explore new ways to balance your life and restore energy.
2. Struggling with Self-Doubt or Imposter Syndrome?
Even when you’ve achieved great success, you may still feel like an imposter, constantly worried about being "found out" or thinking your success is due to luck. If self-doubt is affecting your sense of worth, working with a therapist can help you reframe these thoughts and build healthier self-esteem.
3. You’re Constantly Criticizing Yourself or Your Work
Perfectionism often leads to harsh self-criticism. When minor mistakes feel like failures, or when you constantly feel you must be "better," therapy can offer a space to challenge these self-limiting beliefs. By practicing self-compassion, you can learn to appreciate your progress without needing to be perfect.
4. Caught in Unhealthy Patterns? Therapy Can Help You Break the Cycle
Sometimes, you might not realize you’re stuck in a pattern until it starts to feel like a rut. This could show up as procrastination, overworking, or feeling emotionally “numb.” Therapy can offer a new perspective and help you identify patterns that no longer serve your well-being.
5. You’re Struggling to Manage Intense Emotions
When your emotions feel overwhelming, whether it's anxiety, anger, or sadness, it can make daily life feel like a struggle. Therapy offers a space to learn emotion regulation techniques and develop a greater understanding of your emotional world. This can lead to better emotional balance over time.
6. Life Changes Feeling More Challenging Than Usual?
Whether you're going through a career shift, a personal life transition, or just navigating the ups and downs of life, these changes can stir up difficult emotions. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) helps you create actionable steps to adjust to these transitions, focusing on your strengths and resources to help you move forward.
7. Struggling to Find a Healthy Balance Between Work and Life?
High achievers often prioritize work at the expense of personal well-being. If you’re noticing that work is consuming most of your time, leaving little for self-care or relaxation, therapy is a resource to help you set healthy boundaries and find a more sustainable way to manage your commitments.
Shifting Your Perception: From Stress and Overwhelm to Balance and Clarity
Imagine a scenario where you wake up feeling energized, your mind clearer, and your sense of accomplishment grounded; not by perfection, but by progress. Many high achievers, who have felt trapped by perfectionism, burnout, or self-doubt, find that therapy helps them reframe their thoughts and adopt a more balanced approach to life.
Over time, therapy can provide the clarity and tools you need to shift from an overwhelming mindset to one that values self-compassion, personal growth, and realistic expectations. This shift might not happen overnight, but with the right support, it’s certainly has been achievable.
Conclusion: Starting the Journey Toward a Healthier Mindset
Recognizing that you might benefit from therapy is the first step in shifting your perceptions. If you’re struggling with perfectionism, imposter syndrome, burnout, anxiety, or self-doubt, therapy can offer the support and tools you need to make meaningful changes. It’s a journey of self-discovery, where you learn how to align your expectations with what’s realistic, while also embracing your strengths and challenges.
However, many people have also found that some self-help strategies can be beneficial, including:
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Journaling: Writing can help clarify your emotions and provide insight into patterns of stress or anxiety.
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Mindfulness: Practices like deep breathing or meditation can reduce anxiety and promote emotional balance.
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Setting Boundaries: Learning to set clear boundaries can help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.
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Self-Compassion: Treating yourself with kindness can help you build a healthier relationship with your achievements and challenges.
Sometimes, it takes support in therapy to feel confident in using some of the techniques mentioned above. While these strategies can offer relief for some, therapy can provide the personalized guidance you need in a safe, structured environment. If you're ready to explore how therapy might support your growth, feel free to reach out.
Welcome to Explore More
Thank you for reading! If this article resonated with you, explore other articles in our Shifting Perceptions series. Topics include overcoming burnout, managing anxiety, and finding work-life balance, all designed to help you build resilience and create lasting change.
Ready to begin your journey? Feel free to reach out to schedule a consultation and learn more about how therapy can help you shift your perception toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.
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Each post offers insights and practical tools to help high-achieving adults navigate challenges with clarity, balance, and self-compassion.
Written by Rachel Cooper, a therapist specializing in burnout, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and life transitions. Learn more about therapy for high achievers at Amority Health.
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References
Beck, A. T. (2011). Cognitive therapy: A 30-year retrospective. American Psychologist, 66(4), 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023327
De Jong, P., & Berg, I. K. (2013). Interviewing for solutions (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
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