Starting your mental health journey can be both exciting and overwhelming. On the one hand, you’re taking a step towards improving your life. Everything is about to change for the better, from the way you manage emotions to the strength of your relationships.
On the other hand, finding a therapist in the Raleigh NC area and beyond is not always easy. Mental health access in America is frighteningly lacking. Even in our forward-thinking part of the country, mental illness is stigmatized. Treatment is expensive and unavailable and people suffer in silence.
But whether you’re looking for a therapist in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, or elsewhere, all that is about to change. Welcome to ThriveTalk.
ThriveTalk makes it easy to see a therapist, no matter where you are. It is online therapy at its best. Rather than trawling through directories looking for whoever is closest, you get to find your ideal therapist in no time.
Get started today and set up a session with the perfect therapist for you. Here’s how it works.
Online Therapy is a New Method for an Old Treatment
In the Research Triangle, we’re no strangers to modern innovations in traditional fields. Psychology is no different. Technology is changing the field as we speak. And research is showing that these innovations are for the better. Studies have shown that online therapy is at least as effective as traditional therapy.
And why shouldn’t it be? Online therapy is simply a new method for an old treatment. The therapist-client relationship is still at its core. Psychologists use the same techniques that have been working for generations.
It is simply more accessible and you’re more likely to find the right fit. Instead of having to drive to the therapist closest to you, in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill, you can connect with the psychologist who most appeals to you. At the time of your appointment, connect through video and voice chat. You don’t have to worry about wasting time traveling or waiting.
If you’ve never been to therapy before, traditional or online, you’re probably wondering what it entails.
How Does Therapy Work?
At its core, therapy is based on a relationship between you and your psychologist. You chat with your therapist about your problems and they get to know you. As you progress, you build trust and rapport and learn to share with them.
They are trained to identify your problems and help you explore and work through them. Whether you are dealing with a mental illness or searching for answers to existential questions, your therapist will guide you through it.
Life doesn’t come with instructions. A therapist will guide you through the difficult times everyone experiences.
If you’ve been searching for a therapist in Raleigh, your perfect solution is here.
The First Session
No matter what approach your therapist takes, the first session will be somewhat similar. This is your first chance to get comfortable with each other. They will take the time to understand your context and what you’re looking for, and will start building a treatment plan.
First Impressions
You will get your first impressions both of the therapist and the process of therapy itself. While impressions certainly change over time, the first session will give you an indication of how you feel sharing, the style of the therapist, and what thoughts and emotions are going to come up.
Your therapist will get their first impressions of you and start putting together a profile of who you are. They will continuously reassess this profile, based on whatever new information comes up throughout the therapy process. The first impressions are an outline, that will be reshaped and filled the more you get to know each other.
Rapport
When looking for a therapist in Raleigh, you’ve been searching for someone you can relate to. Someone you click with. Who you feel like you already know soon after you’ve met them. Therapists are excellent at building a rapport. For some people, this will take mere minutes.
Others may take a bit more time to warm up to a person and rapport will develop over time. This is perfectly fine. Many of us have never been this open and vulnerable before, and so we close ourselves off somewhat. In the first session, you will light a spark which will continue to grow.
Presenting Problem
Your therapist will ask what brought you to therapy. Everyone has a motivating factor for finding a psychologist. You may not be able to identify it succinctly. You may simply know you need some help.
If so, your therapist will help you explore that motivation. You will discover more about what it is that is propelling you to find help.
The presenting problem will be the basis for which the therapy plan is built. The psychologist will take it into account, along with everything else they learn about you, to pinpoint what you need to deal with most.
Personal History
Much of the first session will be spent going through your personal history. This includes information about your parents, siblings and other important family, major milestones and achievements, losses and traumas, and whatever you identify as having a significant impact on your life.
This history will give your psychologist the context of who you are. It will contextualize your coping mechanisms and patterns of behaviour. It will give them an idea of what you are hiding from and what you’re trying to achieve.
You will explore your personal history not to get stuck in the past, but to learn from the past to move forward.
Set up your first session today on ThriveTalk.
What Happens in Follow-Up Sessions?
In follow-up sessions, your therapist will start implementing the treatment plan they’ve crafted for you. They will continuously reassess what they know about you and check up with how you’re doing. You will work together on anything that has come up since the last session.
You will gradually learn skills to take into your life, that will help you better manage similar situations that occur.
This is the case with any therapist in Raleigh or beyond. Therapy will help you make more sense of your life and what you want from it.
Am I Going to Get Diagnosed with a Mental Illness?
If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of mental illness, your therapist may diagnose you with a mental illness. This will be the first step towards healing through a holistic treatment plan.
But you might have gone to therapy for plenty of other reasons. As such, you may not be diagnosed with an illness. Either way, you will find that the help you get in therapy will change the way you deal with difficulties and improve the parts of your life with which you are unsatisfied.
What Can I Do to Get the Most Out of Online Therapy?
Online therapy with ThriveTalk is designed to help you get the most out of the process, no matter your mindset when you begin. However, there are some principles that you can adhere to to ensure you optimize the time you spend with your therapist.
Be Honest
Whether or not you consider yourself an honest person, you probably haven’t been as honest as you will with your therapist. This can be very uncomfortable and even frightening. By making a commitment to be as honest as possible, you can notice when you feel the urge to withhold information or portray something in a false way.
At the very least, notice these instances and try at a later date to discuss them with your therapist.
Be Open-Minded
It’s natural to question the process. But being open-minded is fundamental to getting the most out of therapy. If you spend the whole time questioning the process, you won’t get the chance to see for yourself if it works.
All of our therapists are highly qualified and registered with the relevant professional boards. This means they are committed to bringing you evidence-based treatment. You need to have a level of trust that they know what they’re doing and have your best interests at heart.
You should also try to be open-minded to learning about yourself. Sometimes, you might come across an insight that doesn’t immediately resonate with you. Be open to the possibility that there are things about yourself you just don’t know yet.
Ask Questions
While it is important to trust your therapist, sometimes the best way to build that trust is to ask questions. If something is bothering you, ask your therapist to explain or explore it with you. Starting therapy can be disorientating at first, and it will take a bit of time before you’re settled into the process.
Find Your Therapist With ThriveTalk
Find your ideal therapist with ThriveTalk today. It has never been easier to seek therapy in Raleigh.
Click now to consult with a therapist of your choice and you’ll be setting up your first session in no time.
