As a private GP on Harley Street, some of the most common conversations that I have with patients aren’t about blood tests or physical symptoms, they’re about how people are feeling. This topic often pops up subtly, gently, sometimes hesitantly, and occasionally only after months, or years of quietly carrying something else.

 

If you’ve ever considered therapy but weren’t quite sure where to begin, or whether it’s even for you, you’re not alone. Here are a few things that I find myself wishing more patients knew before taking that first step.

 

 

One of the most common misconceptions about therapy is that it’s reserved for ‘rock bottom’ or for when things have become genuinely unbearable. In reality, patients often seek it for less obvious reasons, whether they are feeling ‘stuck,’ having difficulty navigating life, managing stress or even a desire to understand themselves more clearly.

 

We tend not to wait for serious illness to progress before attending to our physical health – so why do we not do the same for our mental health? Mental well-being deserves the same early consideration, not as a last resort, but a reasonable and intelligent response to life filling harder than it should.

 

 

Common concerns about starting therapy that I often hear from patients include, ‘I wouldn’t even know where to start,’ ‘do I want to go over that all that again, how will that help?’ and ‘do I want to open up a can of worms.’

 

That’s okay. In fact, it’s expected.

 

Therapy is about having the space to identify your mental health needs, and to talk through what you need to do to achieve this. It’s normal to be apprehensive about starting, and more often than not – once my patients have started, they’ll say, ‘I wish I’d done this years ago.’

 

A good therapist will meet you where you are, help guide the conversation and support you in making sense of your thoughts at a manageable pace that suits you. The willingness to begin is the first, most often hardest step.

 

 

With any professional relationship, fit matters. It’s okay if the first therapist you meet doesn’t feel quite right, often finding the right one takes time. At The Nine Clinic, we can help you to navigate these decisions based on your needs.

 

In addition, different therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic therapy, will suit different people.

 

Finding what resonates with you, and a therapist that you feel genuinely comfortable opening up to, is part of the process itself – not a detour from it.

 

 

In a world where we are used to fast results and answers, therapy can sometimes feel slow, but meaningful change often takes time.

 

Some sessions may be immediately helpful and provide clarity, others may feel more reflective or even challenging. Progress is rarely linear, and it isn’t always easy to measure in the moment.

 

What my patients tend to find with therapy over time is that it helps to provide a gradual transformation. Often this is quiet and more durable – helping to provide a deeper understanding of themselves, greater self-awareness, and more steadiness when life becomes difficult and challenging. That kind of change tends to last. Over time, this helps to provide more resilience in handling life’s difficulties and challenges.

 

Good therapy helps to identify and navigate triggers in a safe, open space. I frequently tell my patients that good mental health directly correlates with better physical health outcomes and there is a lot of evidence for this. Effective stress management is a good example of this – the ability to manage stress can have significantly better cardiovascular health outcomes.

 

 

You don’t need to have everything figured out before speaking to your GP. In fact, part of our role is to help you clarify what it is that you need.

 

If you’re unsure about how to bring it up, these conversations are far more common than you might think in GP land, and they’re taken seriously. We can help to sit with you in the uncertainty to map a way forward.

 

Life can be overwhelming and sometimes it can feel like there’s no way out. GP’s are highly skilled professionals in mental health and can guide you, so you don’t feel alone in the maze of life.

 

 

Therapy is often assumed to be inaccessible, involving long waiting lists, rigid formats and limited availability. In private practice there is considerably more flexibility in scheduling and approach. Your GP can help you to navigate these options, and where appropriate, recommend trusted professionals, well suited to your specific needs. You don’t have to navigate your way through it alone.

 

 

This above all is what I want patients to hear; recognising that you might benefit from support is not something to minimise or feel embarrassed about. In my experience, the patients who take this step tend to demonstrate a strong sense of self-awareness and a willingness to invest in their own well-being – that’s something to respect and be proud of.

 

Often the hardest part of starting therapy is the realization that you might need help and reaching out for that help.