Back to School, Back to Therapy?
As summer comes to an end (does summer ever end in Texas?), even if you aren't in school or live with someone who is, there is a change in the air. In college towns, students returning to universities make a major change in how the city feels and functions. And if your day-to-day routine shifts based on whether or not you go to school or help other people get to school, how you think about your life shifts. For people who either reduce how often they see their therapist in the summer or stop therapy altogether, here are a few reasons why returning to therapy in the fall is both reasonable and important.
Why people return to therapy in the Fall:
1. Demands increase.
Whether you are a student and have the pressures of performing in your classes or you are a parent or partner of someone who is in school, academics are a tough job! If you (or they) have had the summer off, stress increases in the fall. Having the support of a mental health professional makes sense to balance the additional stress you are surrounded by once back-to-school begins. Returning to "the grind" (omg- your life doesn't have to feel like a grind- if it does, #returntotherapy !) is a reminder that, "oh yeah- I need to keep sharpening my sword, learning about myself, and improving how I show up in my life."
2. Schedules are more consistent.
Sometimes people leave therapy before they've gotten out of it all they can because it is difficult to fit into a summer schedule. Even though virtual appointments can make therapy more convenient, it can still sometimes be a challenge to keep consistency, especially during summer when vacations or social gatherings are common. For people whose schedules become more consistent in the fall, returning the therapy makes a lot of sense because there is still healing or growth to be had. Even though identifying patterns in relationships, or learning skills to manage emotions, or discovering how your family growing up contributes to how you function today is super important to your success and well-being, it makes sense that a consistent schedule helps you make it to your weekly therapy appointment.
3. Life is harder in the winter months.
With summer vacations, more hours of sunlight, and for some, more free time, it makes sense that people who benefit from weekly therapy scale back in the summer. Given the choice, I would rather go to the beach than sit in my therapist's office! Seasonal Affective Disorder is (for most, not all people) a winter thing, so treatment for depression is warranted and helps the blues or the anxiety that can come with colder, darker weather. Working with a therapist who you 1)believe gets you and 2)believe can help you makes all the difference in what you get out of your therapy. TherapyDen.com has numerous therapists who you can search from, using a variety of criteria from zip code to method of payment, to gender, to specialties to the personal values of a therapist. In the same way that you often get along with the rest of the bridal party, even if you'd never met before the wedding, because you all already get along great with the bride/groom, getting a referral to a therapist that a friend has appreciated working with can be a great place to start. It is normal and expected to "shop" for a therapist, so don't feel like you are hurting someone's feelings if they don't seem to be the right "fit"- therapists are looking at this aspect, as well! And don't think that shopping around means money wasted- the process of discerning what makes sense for the professional you work with for more than a few sessions can be as healing as getting to work with the one you decide upon. You will gain things from the process of interviewing different therapists that you wouldn't if you'd found The One in your first meeting! Discuss what you know you are looking for in a therapist with them when you meet. And if you don't know, that is okay to discuss, too.