NFT Utility
10 Tips to Feel More Comfortable Starting Therapy
NFTs are providing access to telemental health care. But starting therapy can be REALLY intimidating. Tips from a seasoned therapist.
Cryptomories changed the game for NFT utility when they began offering free therapy to their holders and holders' family members through Impact Suite. Psychedelics Anonymous and Flomies followed suit, with hopefully many more communities to follow soon.
Mental health accessibility and affordability are real problems worldwide. This utility is an innovative, concrete solution that will have positive ripple effects for generations.
If you’re a member of one of these communities, you now have access to free, ongoing teletherapy. Yay!!!
But the free part doesn’t make it emotionally easier to start the therapy process.
The idea of saying your problems out loud to someone you’ve never met before isn’t something that comes naturally to most people.
It’s unlike any other relationship you have. And it’s a very scary proposition. When we give people personal information about ourselves, we potentially give them power over us. This is why a lot of people choose not to disclose their identity on Web3. It’s safer to stay anonymous.
But, it can also be dangerous to keep problems bottled up. Feelings will come out one way or another, whether we like it or not. Pent-up negative emotions usually morph into depression and anxiety. This can mean difficulty sleeping, poor memory, restlessness, having a hard time concentrating, negative self-talk, or intrusive negative thoughts. They can also lead to addiction, eating disorders, and unhealthy relationship patterns.
The risk of not opening up and getting help is real.
So let’s try to make it easier.
Here are 10 Tips to Feel More Comfortable Starting Therapy:
- What To Expect in the Beginning. In your first session, your therapist will talk to you about confidentiality. They’ll get demographic info and ask you what brought you to therapy. From there, they might ask you questions about your family of origin, health issues, and alcohol or drug use. This info gives them a fuller picture of the context of your life, which will help them help you.
- Be As Truthful As You Can. Your honesty in answering questions and sharing the complete picture of what problem you’re seeking help for only helps you in the long run. Even if the answer is a bit embarrassing.
- You Can Express Opinions. If you ever feel judged or criticized by a therapist, you can tell them. If they get defensive, this might be a sign that this particular therapist isn’t a good fit.
- Not all therapists are created equal. A few red flags of therapists include:
- Defensiveness or being judgmental
- Self-disclosing personal things about themselves, especially if it’s irrelevant to your treatment.
- They talk more about themselves in session than you talk about yourself.
- They suggest getting together outside of the session.
- Sharing with you specific or identifying details about other clients they see.
If you see any of these red flags, consider changing therapists.
5. Having a good personality fit between you and your therapist is vital. It’s okay to shop around and meet with therapists for a 20-minute consultation or a one-time session before deciding to commit to working with someone. This is normal, recommended, and not offensive to mental health professionals. Putting this effort in the beginning, will help immensely in the long term.
6. If you’re worried you won’t know what to say, you can always say, ‘I don’t know what to talk about.’ This simple statement can lead to a rich, in-depth conversation.
7. It’s Okay to Ask Questions. This is your treatment. If something is confusing or you don’t know where you’re headed, ask for the roadmap. Your therapist should be able to describe the modalities they use, why they are using these interventions with you, and what their goals for you are and why.
8. It Doesn’t Always Have to Be Heavy. If you’re not feeling up to a heavy session, still go to the session. Let your therapist know how you’re feeling. Therapy can also be about what’s going right, your progress, and the wins you’ve experienced.
9. Be on the Same Page About Goals. I like to start with new clients in the second session, asking them, ‘How will you know you’re done with therapy?’ This is a good segue into talking about goals and getting on the same page about where we’re headed together.
10. You Get Out What You Put In. Therapy is work. Make the most of it.
Our brains find healing through positive connections with others. Therapists are trained to use connections around vulnerable and otherwise embarrassing issues as a tool for healing and promoting self-compassion. So while it might be intimidating to start therapy, it’s an investment of your time and energy that will pay you back exponentially over the years.
If you’re still on the fence. It’s okay. You need to be ready and have the physical and emotional space and time to do the work. Only you’ll know when the time is right.
But if you’re dragging your feet out of fear, consider this. The thing I hear most after a first-time session is, ‘Wow, that was great! I wish I would have done this sooner!’
And that, my fren, is just the beginning.
