Cherry Creek Psychology, Dr. Maximillian Wachtel

I have had a few new clients meet with me recently who have asked the same question: Do I need to be in therapy?

That is a hard question for me to answer. As a psychologist, I truly believe that most people could benefit from meeting periodically with a therapist. It can be helpful to talk with an objective person you trust about what is going on in your life in order to reduce stress, make changes here and there and remain satisfied with the direction in which you are headed. On the other hand, I don’t want to give anyone a “hard sell” on therapy. I am not going to tell someone that she needs to be in therapy if she doesn’t really NEED to be in therapy. I might tell her it could be helpful, but I will also be clear that it is not absolutely essential. I might lose a little business that way, but I would rather be ethical and honest than try to convince everyone who walks in my door that therapy is the only way for them to make positive changes.

So, do you need therapy? I would say you need therapy if you are struggling with something in your life that is truly getting in the way. Is your stress or depression keeping you from performing well at work? Are you using all of your sick leave or are you at risk for losing your job? Do you hate your life? Are you losing friends and alienating yourself from your family? Are you feeling the need to “self-medicate” or numb yourself out with drugs, alcohol or overeating? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might really be in need of therapy to help you break out of your current cycle and get into a more positive frame of mind.

If you answered “no” to all of these questions (and you were truly being honest with yourself), then chances are that you don’t absolutely need to be in therapy. You might still benefit greatly from meeting with an objective, empathic therapist who can help you stay on the right track, though.

In my practice, I see people who need therapy. I also see people who don’t need it but feel like they are benefitting from it anyway. The best part of my job is when I get to witness an individual transform from someone who NEEDS therapy to someone who can do it on their own. Some of those people continue in treatment with me, and others don’t. It is hard to say goodbye to some of those clients, but it is great to see that they have truly benefited from my services.

If you think you NEED therapy, or if you think you are doing okay but could benefit from an objective point of view, feel free to call me at (303) 399-5300 or check out my website at www.CherryCreekPsychology.com.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com)

3. Don’t Overeat.

This sounds simple enough, but it is incredibly difficult during the holidays. There are cookies everywhere, one huge meal after another and parties galore. It is not uncommon for people to gain five or ten pounds in the month of December. Think about that: five to ten pounds. That is like adding the size of a housecat to your abdomen and carrying it with you everywhere you go. It adds to the physical stress on your body (your knees and your back especially) and the extra weight and calories can add unneeded emotional stress as well. You worry about your health. You worry about how to lose the weight in January. You worry about what you look like with your cat-sized mid-section.

Rather than eating whatever you want during the holidays and vowing to lose the pounds next year, vow to keep the pounds off now. Eat smaller meals. Limit yourself to one or two cookies per day. Avoid drinking too much at parties (after all, alcohol is nothing more than a long chain of sugars). If you can show a little restraint in December in terms of your eating habits, you will reduce your holiday stress and set yourself up for a great 2007.

Tomorrow’s tip: 4. Spend Your Money Wisely

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I just got back from an 8-mile run. It is supposed to be in the 60’s today in Denver, and I ran in shorts. Makes me wish it was Spring already! Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com)