What keeps someone from improving their life?
There could be any one of a number of things including simply fear of getting started. While there is something to be said for the brain liking some novelty, the brain as a whole would probably prefer not to change. It might know it has to change that bad habit or lose some weight, but does it really want to at the subconscious level? Probably not.
When someone knows what they have to do and their conscious mind and subconscious mind are in disagreement, people may or may not have anxiety about even getting help and contacting the provider. The decision one makes to see someone for whatever help they need is no small matter. It is an important or even life changing experience. The possible hostility can present in a way such as making excuses for themselves or purposefully messing up by contacting providers on known days off then getting upset that they are not answering a question right away or ignoring what the receptionist or missing appointments that are scheduled. Some people cannot even contact the provider in the first place even though their friends might be encouraging them to contact and get over it or just get it done but they can’t.
It’s easy to make excuses to not get the help one needs.
- Oh I can’t afford it.
- Oh I work during that time.
- Oh the therapist is probably too busy to see me.
- Oh I am scared that the therapist won’t like me.
Some of these, like financial issues, are legitimate concerns. However, more often than not, the provider, if they are truly in it because they want to help people, will either find a way to discount their rates or ethically find an appropriately credentialed provider who can help. That being said, trying to haggle rates with a provider one has not met or had a consultation with because some other provider, an hour or more away, is doing something for less is not good and will legitimately upset any provider especially if one provider produces drastically different results than other providers.
If the issues are relating to a provider’s times, there are always providers who are available at whatever time that is needed. There are providers, at least for mental health, that are virtual and worldwide.
The therapist is too busy to see you. Unless their roster is completely full several months out, the odds are that you can get an appointment. If a provider says they are not accepting new clients, which is rare, ask them anyway. If they are a concierge practice like After Hours Hypnotherapy is, they might still have non-subscriber appointments. For places that allow you to book online, this means you can see at a glance if there are open spots during regular available hours.
For those concerned that the therapist won’t like you, it is possible they won’t. It is possible they will like you, which I would gather is the most common case. It is possible that they will be completely neutral towards you. However, regardless, if you are paying them, they will at least be polite and civil to you and still give you the best possible care. If they are not polite and civil, that is when there is a concern, but if one has not met the provider, it is a lot more difficult to jump to that assumption. They may love you. They may hate you. But no one knows unless you meet them first.
There are a lot of other issues that could prevent someone from making that first step to contact a therapist for help, but I guess one has to ask themselves… am I worth it?
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified hypnotherapist serving Atlanta GA, Aiken SC, Augusta GA, and Blairsville GA. He performs hypnotherapy appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
