Many people quietly ask themselves, “Do I need therapy?” but hesitate to take the next step. You don’t need to be in crisis, or have a clear diagnosis, to benefit from psychotherapy. Often, people seek therapy because something feels off, even if they can’t fully explain why.
If you’ve been wondering whether therapy could help, the signs below may offer some clarity.
Do I Need Therapy or Am I Just Going Through a Phase?
Everyone experiences stress, sadness, and difficult periods. Therapy becomes helpful when emotional struggles begin to linger, repeat, or interfere with daily life, relationships, or your sense of self.
Psychotherapy isn’t about being “broken” or needing to be fixed. It’s about understanding yourself more deeply and finding healthier ways to cope, relate, and move forward.
10 Signs You Might Benefit from Psychotherapy
1. You Feel Overwhelmed More Often Than Not
One of the most important signs is simply wanting support. You don’t need a label, diagnosis, or clear reason to start therapy. Wanting to feel better is enough.
2. Your Thoughts Feel Stuck or Repetitive
Persistent worry, negative thoughts, or harsh self-criticism can be exhausting. A psychotherapist can help you recognise these patterns and gently shift how you relate to your thoughts.
3. Anxiety or Panic Is Affecting Your Life
Anxiety can show up in many ways, including panic attacks, social anxiety, constant worry, or physical tension. Psychotherapy can help you understand what’s driving your anxiety and build a greater sense of calm and safety.
4. Low Mood or Emotional Numbness Lingers
Feeling flat, disconnected, or unmotivated for weeks or months is a common reason people seek therapy. You don’t need to “push through” these feelings alone.
6. Relationships Feel Repetitively Difficult
If you notice the same conflicts, emotional distance, people-pleasing, or boundary issues showing up in relationships, therapy can help you understand these patterns and develop healthier ways of connecting.
5. You’re Having Ongoing Difficulties With Food or Body Image
If your relationship with food feels stressful, controlling, or emotionally charged, this may be a sign that therapy could help. This can include restrictive eating, binging, persistent guilt around food, preoccupation with weight or body shape, or using food to cope with emotions.
You don’t need a diagnosis of an eating disorder to benefit from psychotherapy. Therapy can help explore what’s underneath these patterns and support a kinder, more balanced relationship with food and your body.
7. You’re Carrying Unresolved Grief or Loss
Grief doesn’t have a timeline. Whether the loss was recent or long ago, psychotherapy can help you process emotions that may still be impacting you.
8. Past Experiences Continue to Affect You
Trauma can profoundly affect you physically, emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally. It can show up as a range of intense emotions, anxiety, cognitive issues, negative beliefs, and mental health issues. Therapy can help you feel safer and more grounded in the present.
9. You’re Exploring ADHD or Neurodivergence
Many adults seek therapy while exploring ADHD or neurodivergence later in life. Psychotherapy can support adults, teens and children with emotional regulation, behaviour modification, skill building, self-understanding, and self-acceptance.
10. You Want Support, Even If You Can’t Name a Problem
One of the most important signs is simply wanting support. You don’t need a label, diagnosis, or clear reason to start therapy. Wanting to feel better is enough.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
Psychotherapy offers a confidential, supportive space to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judgement. It can help you:
- build self-compassion and self-awareness – including recognising patterns, triggers, and self-limiting beliefs
- develop coping strategies
- change negative patterns
- understand emotional and behavioural patterns
- improve relationships
- improve mental health conditions
- promote lasting growth to manage life challenges
- feel more grounded and resilient
Therapy is collaborative and tailored to you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Why Work With Laura Wilson, Psychotherapist?
Laura Wilson is a qualified psychotherapist who offers thoughtful, compassionate, and evidence-based therapy for adults, teens and children. Her approach is calm, relational, and respectful of each person’s unique experience. Her practice embraces uniqueness and diversity.
Clients often value Laura’s ability to:
- create a safe and supportive therapeutic space that’s collaborative
- work at a pace that feels right for you
- support anxiety, trauma, grief, ADHD, eating-related concerns, and emotional overwhelm
- offer therapy that feels human, not clinical
Laura believes therapy works best when you feel understood and supported, not rushed or judged.
Laura is located in Bowral in the Southern Highlands, and provides online psychotherapy for clients across Sydney and NSW. This allows people to access consistent support without travel.
- In-person psychotherapy available in Bowral, Southern Highlands
- Online therapy for clients in Sydney, NSW, and beyond.
Online therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions for many people, while offering greater flexibility.
Therapy Options: Online for Sydney, In Person in Bowral
When Is the Right Time to Start Therapy?
If you’ve been asking yourself, “Do I need therapy?” that question alone is often a meaningful sign.
You don’t need to wait until things become overwhelming. Therapy can be supportive, preventative, and empowering at any stage of life.
Taking the Next Step
Seeking therapy is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re listening to yourself.
Whether you’re in Sydney looking for online psychotherapy or based in Bowral, seeking in-person support, Laura offers a calm and compassionate space to explore what you need.
Get in touch today for a free 15 minute consult.
