My biggest frustration with the mental health field
Let’s be honest, the mental health field has a lot of shortcomings, and most mental health resources aren't that helpful.
My biggest frustration with the field of mental health is the lack of guidance, systems, and standardization.
Most therapy can reasonably be summarized as:
Show up, talk about things, and hope that helps.
Sometimes it does, and that’s wonderful. But far too often, especially for those of us who are really down in it, it doesn’t do a thing.
For years it has been my dream to create something more structured, something that could help guide people from the places I’ve been to the places I’m in. It’s finally starting to come together in the form of a workbook.
Is it really possible for one workbook to help a wide range of people with different symptoms, different lifestyles, different histories, different relationships, and countless other variables making their lives distinct and unique?
Honestly, I don’t know.
But I’m absolutely going to try.
Please enjoy this brief excerpt from the introduction of my upcoming workbook:
When people get better and stay better, especially when they start from a very low place, it isn’t because they had one magical therapy session or finally acquired the single therapy skill they had been missing; it’s because all of the changes they’ve been making and the hard work they’ve been putting in finally starts to come together. This takes time.
How long it will take depends upon a lot of things that are very different from one reader to the next, so I can’t tell you personally what to expect from your timeline. For some people it’s a matter of months, but for others it’s a matter of years. It certainly won’t take you years to read this book, but it absolutely could take that long to fully, and consistently implement everything I’m going to teach you in our time together. And that’s OK.
That doesn’t mean it will take you months or years to feel better or to make any progress. You’ll notice the changes as we go. They’ll feel small at first; little glimmers of hope and relief that feel so fragile you’re afraid to even acknowledge them. As you continue to do the things that create and nurture them, they will eventually grow into something undeniable, something you aren’t afraid to admit or show to the rest of the world. They will feel real and sustainable.
Of course, it won’t always move in that direction. You’ll have setbacks during our time together. Some will be little and some will be big. It’s important not to overreact to these. Try not to get discouraged or frustrated. They don’t mean that you’re doing something wrong or that this isn’t going to work. We need to expect setbacks, anticipate them, and not be surprised when they show up. They are a predictable part of this work. When they happen, just say to yourself “I expected this” and keep going.
- Scott
P.S. here's a quick guide walking you through my criteria for finding a therapist who is not only competent but specialized and compatible.
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