Meeting with a therapist can be helpful when struggling through a new or temporary event, adjusting to situations and circumstances, improving relationships with significant others such as spouses/family/friends/coworkers, needing help with a specific challenge, and figuring out direction in life.

Counseling is also appropriate when various symptoms negatively affect relationships and/or interfere with normal, daily-life functions at home, school, or work.

Consider the following list of symptoms:

• Significant stress or worry
• Depressed or anxious mood
• Feeling on edge, irritable, or agitated
• Irrational fears and/or excessive anxiety (such as panic attacks)
• Explosive emotional outbursts or suppressed rage
• Avoidance of social activities, including withdrawal from family and friends
• Others have expressed concern over changes in your behavior
• Changes in appetite (significant weight loss or gain)
• Changes in sleep patterns (hypersomnia or insomnia) or night terrors
• Suffering from unresolved childhood traumas, including physical and sexual abuse, or neglect
• Dissociation (trauma induced symptoms involving loss of memories (amnesia), sense of identity and ability to discern reality.)
• Chemical dependence (drug or alcohol addiction)
• Behavioral or habitual addictions
• Acting out in an unhealthy sexual manner
• Self-injury (cutting, burning, reckless behavior)
• Dissatisfaction or conflicts in family situation (including marital conflicts)
• Couple or marriage relationship problems leaving one or both of you feeling disconnected