Most people who could benefit from therapy do not go. And usually, the reason is not what you (or they) would think.
So, if you have been thinking about therapy and have not gone yet, it is worth taking a closer look at what may actually be holding you back. Here are some of the barriers we hear about most often, and how to think about each one.
“I can’t afford it.”
This one is real. Therapy is expensive, insurance coverage is uneven, and “out of network” reimbursements are often a fraction of the actual cost. We hear from people every week who have looked into therapy and walked away because the math did not work.
Here’s what is worth knowing: more accessible options exist than people realize.
Nonprofit counseling centers, training clinics, university programs, and many private practitioners offer sliding-scale fees, reduced-rate sessions, or financial assistance. The price you see on a website is rarely the only price available. Ask.
At GAC we are particularly sensitive to cost being a barrier to care. This is why we sidestep insurance entirely and work with each client to set a fee that fits their budget — because cost should never be the reason someone does not get help.
“I should be able to handle this on my own.”
There is a lot to be said for the virtues of grit, resilience, and fortitude. But, these qualities become less virtues and more vices, if they lead someone to assume that needing support is a personal failure rather than a normal part of being human.
You would not tell yourself to “handle it on your own” if you broke your arm. You would see a doctor, and not because you are weak, but because doctors have training and tools you do not.
A good therapist offers the same thing: trained skill, an outside perspective, and a relationship built specifically for the kind of conversation you cannot have with anyone else in your life.
Strength is not doing it alone. True strength is recognizing when you need help and going to get it.
“I’m not sure what I’m signing up for.”
We get it. There IS a lot of ambiguity out there about what therapy is. How does it start and stop? Can you end it whenever you want? Is there a commitment you have to make up front?
Here is what is worth knowing: there is no time commitment. None. You are not signing a lease. You are not enrolling in a program. Every session is its own decision, and you can stop whenever you want — after one, after five, after fifty.
And the awkwardness people imagine around ending things — that uncomfortable conversation where you break up with your therapist — almost never has to happen the way you think it will. A few simple things head it off entirely:
- Set a timeline up front. In your first session, say something like, “I’d like to commit to four or six sessions, and then revisit whether to keep going.” Now ending isn’t a confrontation — it is a planned conversation you both knew was coming.
- Build in regular check-ins. Every six or eight weeks, ask: “How do you think this is going? What should we be focused on?” Good therapists welcome these conversations.
- Treat the first few sessions as a trial. I is completely standard to try a therapist for two or three sessions and decide they are not the right fit.
You’re not locked in. You’re not stuck. The relationship is as flexible as you need it to be, and the more you treat it that way from the start, the easier the process becomes.
“I had a bad experience years ago.”
This is so normal. And we will let you in on an industry secret: There are A LOT of bad therapists out there. Just like there are a lot of bad car mechanics, dentists, contractors, and anything else.
Just because someone is in a helping profession does not mean they are good at it or that they are the right person for you.
If you had a bad experience, it makes sense you would be cautious.
But a bad therapist is not all therapists, the same way a bad doctor is not all doctors. The fit matters enormously, and so does the therapist’s training, experience, on-going education, and commitment to seeking supervision. Trying again with someone different is not unusual, in fact it is how most people who have been helped by therapy have had success.
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Whatever has been stopping you, it is worth examining honestly. The barrier you have been treating as a stop sign might just be a question you have not answered yet.
If you would like to talk to someone at GAC about whether therapy might be a fit we would love to hear from you. We can chat about where you are, what you need, and what you can expect. There is no commitment and no judgement if you still do not think therapy is right for you. We will still be here when and if it ever is.
