How to Decide If Therapy Is Right for You
I am excited to share our first toolkit from Head Out, the Human Flourishing Lab’s public education mental health initiative. As I discussed in a previous newsletter, Head Out is built on the ideas that getting out of our heads and into the world is one of the most powerful but overlooked paths to better mental health, and that people have more power to help themselves than our culture gives them credit for.
The toolkit is called How to Know If It Is Time for Therapy, and it was written by Dr. Camilo Ortiz, a board-certified clinical psychologist who has been treating adults, teens, and kids for 30 years, a professor of psychology, and a fellow at the Human Flourishing Lab.
As a professional therapist, Dr. Ortiz understands the value of therapy. But he is also clear about its limits. In the current climate, it is common to hear people claim that everyone can use therapy and that there is nothing to lose by trying it. Dr. Ortiz pushes back on these ideas, because they are not actually supported by the research. He notes that therapy does not help everyone, and in some situations it can even do harm.
This toolkit is a very useful resource for anyone who is wondering whether they should seek professional help. It does not push people toward therapy or away from it. It helps them figure out what makes sense for their situation. Specifically, it offers a simple way to weigh the risks and rewards of any approach, a short self-assessment to gauge how serious a situation is, practical self-management steps, and a step-by-step plan for finding the right provider if professional help makes sense. It also points to free and low-cost resources and crisis support.
I want to emphasize how much of the guide is devoted to self-management, because it gets at the heart of what Head Out is about. Dr. Ortiz shows that for many common concerns, there is a lot people can do on their own. This includes giving mild symptoms a chance to improve on their own, strengthening the basics like sleep, movement, and connection, and borrowing simple techniques that therapists use. People often have more capacity to improve their own mental health than they realize.
You can find the toolkit here. Even if you do not think you need it for yourself, it is worth reading and sharing, because so much of what people hear and read about mental health is not grounded in good evidence. The more we can get clear, research-based guidance into people’s hands, the better.
On a separate note, there will be no Flourishing Friday next week. I will be at the Aspen Ideas Health Festival for a conversation about the power of nostalgia with Steve Burns, the original host of Blue’s Clues and host of the podcast Alive with Steve Burns, moderated by NYT bestselling author and host of the Everything Happens podcast, Kate Bowler. Our session is called Back to the Future: The Power of Nostalgia, and we will be talking about how thoughtful nostalgia works as a psychological resource that fosters optimism, builds belonging, and helps us move forward. If you have been reading this newsletter for a while, you know this is a major focus of my work, and I could not be more excited about this opportunity. You can learn more about the session here.
Have a great weekend!
Clay
