DO I NEED TO SEE A THERAPIST by

Donna Maria Bottomley

 

HOW THE FEAR OF EMOTION KEEPS US STRUGGLING AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

While society as a whole is becoming increasingly conscious of mental health, and the social consequences of the global Covid-19 pandemic has made the issue ever more salient, the idea of asking for professional help has largely remained taboo. The fear of being thought mad, weak or helpless, and the prospect of having to revisit personal trauma, have stopped many people from seeking out a therapist.

In this empathetic and practical guide, drawing on some of the latest studies in the field, psychotherapist Donna Maria Bottomley examines these anxieties and argues that therapy should be just as acceptable as seeing a GP or booking your car into the garage, and needn’t be our last resort. Do I Need to See a Therapist? provides insight into how we can acknowledge and overcome the dual-fear of not only what we think it means about us if we see a therapist, but the fear of our own emotions themselves. The book introduces the concept of interoception and how we can start to understand more about our emotions by noticing what happens in our body when we feel a certain way. A framework for plotting what is upsetting us is provided, and the book also lays out what to expect from therapy and how to make it work for us. The many pathways towards finding help, whether in a traditional practice setting or via alternate routes made possible by modern technology are also discussed.

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Donna Maria Bottomley is a psychotherapist and writer based in Wales, UK. She has been a therapist for over 20 years and currently runs her own private practice (DMB Therapy). As well as providing CBT/EMDR and Brainspotting therapies she also offers therapeutic and expressive writing. Donna also trained in creative writing and songwriting and her personal work explores themes related to mental health and neurodiversity.