When should you see a psychologist?
Everyone experiences situations that affect how you feel, think or function. Often, you manage to cope with these on your own, or things return to normal of their own accord. But sometimes you may find that symptoms persist, recur or increasingly affect your daily life.
The reason for seeing a psychologist varies from person to person. It is important to remember that the focus is not on the diagnosis, but on the question: does what you are experiencing affect how you live, work, learn or feel?
Even if, as a parent or carer, you are concerned about your child or young person, it can be helpful to explore together what support is appropriate.
When can psychology help?
A visit to a psychologist can help when thoughts, emotions or behaviour start to affect your daily life. Not only when your symptoms are severe, but also when you feel stuck, want to understand certain patterns, or are looking for support to cope better with what is going on.
Psychology may be appropriate if you:
- notice that stress or tension has a significant impact on your daily life;
- often worries or finds it difficult to relax;
- feels gloomy, anxious or emotionally unbalanced;
- gets stuck in work, studies, relationships or parenting;
- struggles with change or major events;
- notices that symptoms are recurring;
- want to understand better why you think, feel or react in certain ways;
- looking for support for yourself, your child or your family.
A psychologist can offer support in a variety of situations. Below, you can read more about common issues for which you can seek help from our psychologists.
Stress, burnout and emotional difficulties
Sometimes you find it difficult to keep up with everything as you are used to. You may notice that you get stressed more easily, have less energy or find it harder to recover. Your emotions may also feel different from what you are used to.
A psychologist can, for example, help with:
- stress or long-term overwork;
- symptoms of burnout;
- worrying or persistent anxiety;
- anxiety symptoms;
- gloom or feelings of depression;
- stress-related symptoms;
- difficulty coping with change or loss.
Getting stuck in daily life, work, study or relationships
Sometimes symptoms do not stem from a single clear cause, but you may simply notice that things are not going as well as they used to. You may feel stuck in your work, studies, relationships or everyday situations and notice that this is affecting how you feel.
Psychological support may be appropriate for:
- difficulty setting boundaries;
- perfectionism or high expectations of yourself;
- problems with concentration or keeping track of things;
