Vous arrive-t-il de vous sentir dépassé par les difficultés de la vie et de ne pas savoir vers qui vous tourner ? La thérapie virtuelle peut être une bouée de sauvetage, comme elle l'a été pour Sarah. Découvrez son parcours inspirant de prise en charge de soi et d'épanouissement grâce à une thérapie accessible. Vous n'êtes pas seul dans cette situation - explorons comment vous pouvez vous aussi trouver votre chemin vers le bien-être.
Finding My Path to Wellness: Sarah’s Journey with Virtual Therapy
This article highlights Sarah’s journey with telehealth therapy and how working with a licensed clinical social worker helped her implement self-care practices that led to improvements in multiple areas of her life. It’s a story that many individuals might relate to: Sarah had considered speaking with a mental health professional on several occasions and researched it frequently, but financial constraints, time limitations, and insurance complications kept getting in the way.
After Sarah’s doctor suggested telehealth therapy, she connected with a licensed clinical social worker through ReachLink and began making progress with her mental health.
Below is Sarah’s story, which has been lightly edited for clarity and grammar.
Sarah’s story
Sarah’s experiences before therapy
«I always knew that I could benefit from speaking to a mental health professional, but I always had a reason not to, even though I would look into it frequently,» Sarah began. «Either money, insurance, or timing issues always stopped me. I was open to counseling but was never truly motivated to take any action on finding a method that would work best for me.
Doctor’s suggestion for therapy
«When my doctor suggested I look into therapy, she mentioned she had a patient who communicated online with their therapist regularly. I was intrigued by that since my schedule is so erratic, I didn’t see how making scheduled appointments would work for either of us. The idea of being able to reach out to my therapist with flexibility held great appeal for me.
The choice of a video and messaging approach
«I don’t mind face-to-face interaction, but having both video sessions and messaging helps me get my thoughts out in a way that makes sense so that I’m being as honest and open as possible to get the best feedback. It allows me to take my time without feeling rushed if I’m struggling to put feelings into words or get interrupted by work.»
How Sarah found ReachLink
Searching telehealth therapy options
«So, I did a Google search and read the reviews on several telehealth therapy options, but ReachLink had the best reviews, and I immediately liked the feel of the website. It just felt right.
Signing up for ReachLink
«When I signed up for ReachLink, I was mainly looking to handle my depression and anxiety but also tackle issues related to stress, sleeping issues, family issues, relationship issues, and childhood trauma. I felt that I had so much to talk about that it was difficult for me to even find where to start. Even with the support I was already receiving, I was struggling to handle my depression and anxiety in a healthy way. I was doing okay, but I knew I could be doing better.»
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see reputable mental health resources for more information.
Changes Sarah experienced after starting counseling with ReachLink
«I’ve been working with Michael, my ReachLink therapist, since I signed up in late December,» Sarah continued.
«After our initial conversation, he mentioned how he was into holistic approaches such as mindfulness, meditation, energy work, etc. Since that’s something that had started to heavily influence my life, I felt relaxed and comfortable speaking about those things to someone who could fully relate and understand what I meant.
«I find that I’ve come to value his responses, advice, and input to help me navigate challenges. Knowing I can speak openly during our sessions without judgment is incredibly freeing. Having that unbiased professional to listen to me and provide advice and feedback is so refreshing.
«I think I would have put myself at 5/10 when I first signed up, but at the time, I probably thought I was more of a 7.5/10. However, now I feel confident saying that I feel like I’m truly at 7.5-8/10 most days,» reported Sarah.
Exercise and other self-care habits to improve mental health
«I’ve managed to implement healthier habits into my daily life with Michael’s help, suggestions, resources, etc. I feel less guilty for my feelings, and I’m improving on how best to handle my sensitivity and emotions and how to communicate them.
«We started with just me sharing all of my thoughts in what felt like a jumbled mess of concerns and feelings. Once we worked through everything and started getting to the root of the issues, Michael was better able to provide more specific guidance. He gave me practical strategies like exercise to manage my stress and improve my sleeping habits. He provided affirmations that I reviewed daily to help maintain a positive mindset, and he made suggestions on how to implement healthier self-care habits for myself.