Do I really need therapy?
Are my problems “big enough”?
What if I don’t know what I’d talk about?

If you’ve found yourself asking these questions, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to determine if therapy is the right next step for them and even the process of deciding can illicit feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and fear. It can also feel hopeful, like something that has felt just out of reach for so long, might finally be obtainable. Whichever way you might feel, it’s probably a lot like standing at the edge a dock, trying to decide if you really want to jump into the water below or not.

These are real questions and important ones to ask, and we hope that these six points can help you evaluate if therapy is the right for you.

1. You Feel Stuck, Even When Everything Is “Fine”

People often come to therapy not because something is falling apart, but because things look okay on the surface but don’t feel okay inside.

Maybe you’ve done what was expected of you, all the “right” things, but you still feel disconnected, unfulfilled, or unsure of who you are. Therapy can be a dedicated time, built into your likely busy schedule, to create space for yourself – to slow down, listen, reflect, and begin to process your inner world. Therapy can certainly be about solving problems, but it’s also about discovery, growth, reconnecting with yourself, and exploring life’s biggest questions.

2. You’re Noticing a Pattern

Do you find yourself reexperiencing specific feelings, thoughts, or situations at work, in your relationships, or even in how you talk to yourself? Are you asking yourself, “Why does this keep happening?” or thinking “I thought I was past this.”

Therapy, especially psychodynamic therapy, helps you uncover the roots of patterns and explore what’s driving them. We lean in with curiosity and compassion, not judgement, because we recognize that there is a reason those patterns exist. With time and awareness, therapy can move you towards a sense of agency, which opens the door to the possibility of change.

3. You’re Navigating Something Big (or Things Are Subtly Shifting)

As noted above, you don’t need a crisis to start therapy. Life transitions like a new job, a breakup or new relationship, becoming a parent, losing someone, processing your beliefs, or just sensing a shift in who you are can stir up questions about identity, belonging, and direction. Therapy provides a steady place to sort through these changes and find your footing. You can work through it and you don’t have to do it alone.

4. The World Feels Heavy

Anxiety, sadness, irritability, or numbness can be signs that your inner world needs attention. Sometimes these feelings are loud and disruptive; other times they show up quietly, like exhaustion, difficulty focusing, or a sense of emptiness. Therapy can help you name and hold the heaviness, and provide reassurance that you are not alone. You don’t have to wait until things feel like they’re breaking or are “bad enough” to seek support. If you’re hurting, that’s reason enough.

5. You Want a Place That’s Just for You

So much of life is about taking care of others or meeting social expectations – whether you want to or not. Therapy is different. It’s one of the few places where the focus is entirely on you: your feelings, your needs, your hopes, your story. In many ways therapy is a form of self-care. It’s a space where you don’t have to filter or perform; you get to be fully seen, and that kind of witnessing can be deeply healing. It might feel odd to prioritize time in your week for this work, especially if you’re used to putting others’ needs before your own, but I promise it’s worth it.

6. You’re Curious About Yourself

Personal growth is other valid reasons to seek therapy. Simply wanting to explore who you are, understand yourself more deeply, or consider how you relate to the world are useful ways to strengthen your sense-of-self and increase your capacity for resilience.

Therapy can help you make sense of your history, connect with your emotions, and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself and others. Growth doesn’t require an emergency; sometimes, it just starts with curiosity.

How You Know You’re Ready

You don’t need to have everything figured out to start therapy. If you wait for the perfect moment, it may never come. There is almost always a reason not to take the next step. But if you sense that something in you is asking for attention, even if you can’t yet name it, schedule a free consult to explore starting therapy.

Readiness doesn’t mean you feel brave or confident. It often means you feel willing.

Willing to show up, even with uncertainty. Willing to see what might unfold.

That willingness is where therapy begins.

Learn More About The Ampersand Team

Our therapists are independently licensed in Washington State, and are committed to depth-oriented theory and practice. We believe there is always more—more to say, more to uncover, and more to experience. We’re here to listen closely, ask the hard questions, and stay with you as things unfold. Not to fix you, but to be with you as you grow.