Do I Need a Therapist?: Unpacking the Fear and Confusion Around Seeking Help for Our Mental Health

While society as a whole is becoming increasingly conscious of mental health, and the social consequences of the global Covid-19 pandemic has made the issue ever more salient, the idea of asking for professional help has largely remained taboo. The fear of being thought mad, weak or helpless, and the prospect of having to revisit personal trauma, have stopped many people from seeking out a therapist.

In this empathetic and practical guide, drawing on some of the latest studies in the field, psychotherapist Donna Bottomley examines these anxieties and argues that therapy should be just as acceptable as seeing a GP or booking your car into the garage, and needn't be our last resort. Do I Need a Therapist? provides insight into how we can acknowledge and overcome the dual-fear of not only what we think it means about us if we see a therapist, but the fear of our own emotions themselves. The book provides a framework through which we can plot what is upsetting us, and lays out what to expect from therapy and how to make it work for us. The many pathways towards finding help, whether in a traditional practice setting or via alternate routes made possible by modern technology are also discussed, alongside a tool to help you choose between the many therapies on offer.