As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many people might be wondering when they should see a therapist in Santa Clarita. Kristina de Bree, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), is answering this common question for the community.
One way to decide if it’s time to begin therapy is to ask yourself where you fall on a scale of zero to 10, with zero representing “totally calm and at peace” and 10 representing “the worst you’ve ever felt in your life,” according to de Bree.
“I know we’re all a little bit higher because of everything going on with the coronavirus so it’s hard to gauge,” she said. “When you’re between four and seven, that’s when you really need to be considering therapy, and when you’re above seven, you absolutely need to get to a therapist as soon as possible.”
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Though every day may be different and some days will be higher than others, de Bree pointed out the importance of looking at your regular average number, and making sure that this number doesn’t get higher as time goes on.
“It can have this snowball effect and things can unravel more quickly than we understand,” de Bree said.
Some people who find themselves in the four to seven range might decide they can “handle it” independently by doing things like eating healthier or going for regular walks, but de Bree noted that this might not be helpful for some.
“For some people, they can, but for others, that doesn’t work,” she said. “One of the things that I tell people is, it’s better to go and pay for five to 10 therapy sessions when you’re at that four to seven than to wait until it gets to a seven out of 10.”
A person in the seven to 10 range might need to be in therapy for an extended period of time with more frequent sessions, or they might even require a higher level of care, such as outpatient treatment or hospitalization, according to de Bree.
If you aren’t sure where you fall on the scale or whether or not you might need therapy, a free 15-minute phone consultation with de Bree is available. To find out more or to schedule a consultation, call de Bree at 661-513-4857 or visit her website.