Hey everyone! Today is a special episode because you won't just be hearing from me. My special guest today is my clinical mentor, colleague and friend, Jen Robinson Guerin.

Jen is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of Blackwater Counseling in Lynchburg, VA and specializes in Perinatal Mood/Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), Adoption-Competent Therapist, Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Informed Care, Certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Today we are going to dive into the top 10 reasons to go to therapy, mainly because I believe there is still such a stigma with seeking support and especially in the Christian community.

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. - Proverbs 20:5

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. - Proverbs 11:14

“If I must boast I will boast of things that show my weakness.“ - 2 Corinthians 11:30

We were not meant to walk through life in isolation. Scripture tells us to seek counsel, to confess sin to others, and to carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters.

Here Are the Top 10 Reasons for Exploring Therapy:
1. Gain self-awareness
2. Evaluate emotional health needs
3. Explore relational dynamics/patterns - “Jesus may be in your heart but grampa is in your bones”
4. Improve emotional awareness “I react but I want to learn how to respond"
5. Address distress related to transitions, trauma, tough seasons
6. Receive support from an unbiased perspective
7. Gain insight into problematic behaviors/ habits/ addictions
8. Decrease stress
9. Increase coping strategies
10. Identify the root cause of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, etc.

Next Steps:
So, maybe you are feeling a little more open to the idea of therapy. When it comes to acknowledging our need for support, we can feel guilt, shame, fear, etc. but having sat on both sides of the counselling room I cannot tell you how powerful the process of practicing vulnerability and honesty is. As a therapist I am changed and challenged by each brave soul that sits across from me because I am on this journey right alongside you.

So what's the next step:
• Looking for a good fit
• Asking questions
• Embrace the suck

Websites: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

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