20 to 30-year-old professionals prioritising their mental health

Lockdowns have added to everyone’s stress and, no longer having distractions or comforts in life and busy schedules, the uncomfortable has risen to the surface. Issues, problems, anxiety all feel very raw at this time. Social support networks to help you get through life have been limited in these unusual times and those uncomfortable feelings or even numbness just aren’t subsiding.

Taking control

Getting a prescription assigned for tablets to help change mood from a doctor over the phone who is unable to see how you are or understand your concerns may feel too distant to take that step. Waiting lists for GP referrals or charities for counselling can be long - in some areas you’re looking at over eight months. If you’re a young professional who is used to being able to access what you need quickly and efficiently then reaching out for private counselling and psychotherapy is an option that gives you control. In the past a physio to help with a sports injury has been easy to obtain privately so why not support for your mental health?

What you want to get out of counselling

Reducing those physical sensations that hold anxiety or low mood can be one of the first steps for wanting counselling. Finding yourself again, or even anchoring yourself to feel more energy, increase concentration and obtain better sleep. Tired of those hyper alert feelings of worry, irritation, frustration or for others tired of being tired and numb to life.

Reducing those thoughts: The tension between how your mind is whizzing around and what you physically need to concentrate on can be difficult to balance - wanting that sense of peace and calmness in your life.

Growing as an adult: When in life do you get the chance to talk through your life and how you got to this point? To understand what your drivers are in life and how they have helped you and in some cases hindered you in developing relationships. Shaking off historic ways of feeling or behaving is all part of psychotherapy and gaining that insight into how you have developed as an adult and how you wish to nurture the positive parts in your life and outgrow the negative.

Take action now instead of later: With the added stress of lockdowns suddenly our lives have become polarised. Issues and responses to situations that would have gone unnoticed for years until stresses of focusing on your career, family life or increase in workload have now arrived early with lockdown impacting your life.

Always wanting a high standard or being strong through difficult times or that burning need to not let people down can feel at times like you’re on overdrive. Where will this momentum get you later in life and how will it impact on your life? Living for the short-term and being catapulted to consider a much bigger picture? Questions about what is the long-term effect on your life, your health and your mental health are coming into play. How can I reduce the cost to my health and wellbeing for the future as work is no longer the only focus in my life?

Cost

Not knowing where to find support or the cost has always been a barrier. I’m finding young professionals finding me through a directory and being very surprised at how accessible the cost is. I find that for people who have never had counselling before a 45 minute session is suitable and affordable. Prices can range from £35 for a 45 minute session to £50 for an hour or higher depending on the therapist’s experience.

Through a directory you know that everyone is qualified and they are registered with a professional body such as BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) and will have the appropriate insurance and safeguarding measures in place.

Technology has opened doors to counselling

Before lockdown, face-to-face was the preferred option. Locating someone in your area, having confidentiality and also the time to get there and have a session can be seen as too many steps to take to reach out for help. Now with telephone or online counselling becoming the norm for meetings and contact with friends, suddenly having a counselling session seems very straightforward.

Interestingly I’m finding the 20-30 year old client is preferring the phone as this gives a quick response time, enhances the confidentiality and can be less tiring than a Zoom session when you’re constantly having to read facial cues and pauses. Being able to find a counsellor that fits your needs in a much larger pool has now become available.

I have clients from all over the country and I’m finding the openness of how counselling and psychotherapy can work for them and providing resources such as blog posts and a website gives confidence to my clients to access a private service that often felt not accessible.

Accessible support for your mental health

I set up ‘Just Be Human’ as a company because it was relevant to young professionals of today rather than the confusing world of therapy with different practices, terms and theory.  Being able to work with your past, present and future and support the difficult and confusing times in your life is not just for the short-term - it’s for the long-term so you can prosper in life and develop healthy relationships.

I always put forward tools of psychotherapy that the client can own, find out more later and use not only for current situations but for life - being able to gain insight into your family dynamics, how you respond to situations and building a relationship between your physical sensations and your thoughts so you regain that sense of self. Taking the first step is not as hard as you think. Pop on a directory, click a few fields with reference to how you are feeling and there are so many qualified people out there with a wealth of experience to understand your needs.