Finding a psychotherapist in Dublin can be a confusing thing to do. The first step is usually to search online for psychotherapy Dublin, or psychotherapist near me. At the time of writing, you would be faced with nearly half a million results. Then, there are so many different types of therapy on offer, whether psychoanalysis, CBT, counselling, or other forms of talk based psychotherapy. For the uninitiated even finding someone to talk to can be difficult. This is a real problem, because for so many of us, even deciding to reach out to someone can be an incredibly difficult thing to do. 

Why talk to a psychotherapist?

There is also the fact that when it comes to our mental health and the reason why someone might want to speak with a psychotherapist, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. There are many, many different reasons why someone might want to talk to a psychotherapist. It’s true that similar complaints or symptoms can be shared by many different types of people, but the reason that any one person suffers in a particular way is totally unique and singular to them. Therefore what type of psychotherapy works for one person might not work for another. 

Talking about psychotherapy

Added to this complication is the fact that unlike many other types of services there is still a reluctance to talk about psychotherapy. Despite great steps having been taken towards being more open about mental health, there are still many very valid reasons why people are less likely to recommend a psychotherapist to friends or colleagues. Rarely does someone say ‘I’ve found this really great psychotherapist in South Dublin! You’ve got to try them!’ This has less to do with the effectiveness of a psychotherapist and more to do with the fact that people still feel (and sometimes experience) that declaring a mental health problem openly will harm their career or relationships. 

Many reasons to speak with a psychotherapist

We do have to be more aware that talking to a psychotherapist does not mean that someone is weak or damaged, or that they have something seriously wrong with them. I will often work with clients who are looking for help with taking the next step in their career, or overcoming some very relatable anxiety in the run up to a career change or milestone. The thing with mental health is that it is something that affects every aspect of our life, and we do not need to be in full blown crisis in order to benefit from psychotherapy. Looking after our mental health is similar in this way to other forms of health in that if we neglect it, then we can find small problems becoming big ones. 

Deciding on a psychotherapist

So what can someone who is in distress, or is simply looking for someone to talk to, do to reduce the chances of seeing the ‘wrong’ person? The single most important thing in a successful outcome is the therapeutic relationship - do you feel comfortable with your psychotherapist? Do you trust that they can help you? It is only by speaking with a psychotherapist or counsellor that you can get a feel for how good a fit they are for you. That’s why we at Sandymount Psychotherapy encourage people to call first, and we offer an initial short consultation over the phone or video call. This allows you to get a sense of the person you will be working with, and ask any question before beginning.

Giving psychotherapy time

The other important factor is time and money. Psychotherapy is a different experience for everyone, and there is no set way of achieving what you want in therapy. Some people will attend psychotherapy for a few weeks and get what they want from it, whereas others may find themselves taking on a bigger challenge and stay for longer. The truth is that often, people have little idea what it is they are trying to achieve with psychotherapy or where it might lead beyond wanting things to change for the better. Psychotherapy can have truly life changing benefits, and can radically improve how you feel about yourself, others and life. It is important to consider that bringing about real change in your life and mind can be complicated, because people are complicated. Therefore you can expect that for meaningful work to take place you would need to give it some time, and that it may take a few months before things begin to make sense for you. This investment of time and money is an investment in yourself, your happiness and your wellbeing.

You can schedule your consultation by dropping us a line from the contact page. You’ll be glad you did.