How Online Therapy in California Can Help You Get Out of Your Own Head.
You have been through a lot, and though we try to minimize our problems with comparisons to others, it doesn’t work. Such statements like “I should be grateful for what I have”, or “it could be worse...” the problems don’t go away. They simmer in our minds, usually coming out when we are alone with our thoughts.
Do you experience:
Sleepless nights
The feeling of dread the day before the workweek begins
Wake up with anxiety
Lack of motivation to get out of bed
Feel lonely
Or feel a lack of purpose
At this point, the days are blending.
These are things we often think, “I should be able to get a grip of”. We have expectations of ourselves that do not inspire or motivate, rather it leaves us depressed, undeserving, and most of all, ashamed. And yet, we continue to punish ourselves with repeating. These mental patterns of berating ourselves as failures, while unrealistically expecting ourselves to change from these mental patterns that are holding us captive.
We often dismiss our problems as something we should either be able to fix or chastise ourselves for getting into these problems in the first place. It’s either something I should be able to solve on my own because everyone else seems to be able to, or “again?!? When will I learn? What’s wrong with me? Why do I attract toxic relationships?”
Whatever our mind tells us repeatedly, is that we are not enough. We are not doing enough, being enough, working hard enough… etc. you get the point. All this blame and shame and hurt to punish ourselves, but with no reward or solution to ease our pain and struggling.
So, what’s going on?
It could be a variety of things.
Sometimes it’s because there are certain “truths” we were taught, and never questioned. We are still living under these rules, with no benefits to us as an adult. They are so worn into us when we were children, that we don’t even stop to reflect if they have a purpose for us now. Times are different. The way we learned to survive, cope, distract, and fix things when we were children, are often the same things that keep us from getting where we want as adults. Having emotions and showing emotions have had a very bad rap since we were little.
Often, we are taught not to show certain emotions (sadness, anger, jealousy) because they were considered “bad” and “weak”. What we were not taught was HOW to handle these emotions. In fact, we were not taught that these emotions flow in and out of each other. We were not taught that we should not be afraid of them when we have them or that they’re not going to last forever.
How does Online Therapy Help you Overcome the Shame Scripts?
Therapy can help to acknowledge that we have these emotions and teach us to be able to manage these emotions that we were never allowed to have when we were children. Therapy doesn’t require you to dissect your past and it is especially not there to fill yourself with blame and shame.
Online therapy is honestly a place where you can investigate where your strong beliefs and truths come from and if they still hold true for you. Do they serve a purpose and if not, what is keeping you from moving on from that “truth” to a new “truth” that is your own? As an online therapist, I am here not to diagnose but ask questions with curiosity and listen to your story. The guidance and safety therapy can provide are instrumental in healing. This can lead you to remove the no longer useful and detrimental beliefs to achieving your goals and living a more fulfilling life.
What holds us back from caring for ourselves?
Sometimes it’s what is occupying our lives (parenting, relationships, family, work, friends) that overwhelms us so much, that we simply have no supply left for caring for ourselves. And then we burn out from the “smallest” of tasks and question our own capability. We often look at our lives and think of all those who have fewer material things or go through what we consider “legitimate tragedies” and put ourselves down. We look at ourselves as failures, lacking in so many places in our lives, forever broken, with no motivation or guide to lead us out of this darkness.
Depression and anxiety set in, fear of losing people or finances, take over all our quiet moments alone, just ruminating and keeping us exhausted from its heaviness. We reel down a rabbit hole of despair and hopelessness and wonder why we don’t have the energy the next day to “do better.” When we spiral, and the speed of thoughts overtake us, we often don’t have the energy, support, or resources to help us slow down and ground ourselves.
Online therapy in California is a place to work through these ruminations as well as contain them while helping you get to the root of the issue. No judgments or “grades” will be given for how well you are managing, no inner fight with yourself to live a satisfying life, rather therapy is a place to work through the problems, increase your distress tolerance, and exercises your mind to maintain balance when overwhelmed. Just as a trainer would help you get physically healthier & stronger; an online therapist is there to help your mind get stronger and be more resilient. So, you go through different parts of your life.
What do we do during the unexpected?
Here is the thing, life just happens. Out of the blue with no warning, and we struggle to get back on our feet. Things happen all the time, and they are 99% of the time, out of our control. Although we try to prepare, foresee, and protect ourselves from these setbacks and unexpected upheavals in our lives, we still face them directly and crisis happens. Grief and loss happen unexpectedly. Sometimes even if predicted or knowing that something is eventually going to happen, the pain and suffering do not lessen. It can change the way we see life, love, and ourselves drastically. We struggle to adjust and resolve the “closure” we needed.
How Online Therapy Helps!
Healing is not just time itself, it’s what you do with the time, that helps mend the pain and trauma. Therapy techniques, like EMDR therapy, help you process through these emotional and extremely difficult times, without reliving them repeatedly. Once was enough, and you deserve to move forward, instead of being stuck and continuously hurting from the past. Online therapy can help you reconnect with yourself. When you disconnect due to trauma, injury, and the anguish that goes with it you need time to process. There are things that come into our lives without reason, and we often obsessively search for that reason alone.
Online therapy in California is there to help guide you to reclaim your peace of mind, your sense of purpose, and reclaiming a life you once believed in. It is there like a spare tire, to help you to the next step. Then, you can retake the lead anytime. The purpose of therapy is not to hold you here, the purpose is to help you stand up again and walk confidently and authentically again.
Does Online Therapy in California Really Help Me, When I am Struggling?
The answer is yes. Research has shown that online therapy can be extremely effective for people with various issues, from anxiety and depression to relationship and parenting problems, to a crisis. This past year we have globally suffered and struggled with crisis and sudden isolation. It was not easy, but we adapted. Remote learning and working became our new norm. The human need for interaction and connection found a way to maneuver around the physical boundaries we were put under, to re-engage and reconnect in different ways than we ever thought we could. Therapy went online due to necessity, and in doing so, we discovered that connections can be made and thrive online, and changes can happen through online therapy. We learn to fix our computers through tech support and YouTube videos, we connect with family and loved ones through zoom and phone, we also realized alleviate our anxieties, depression, frustrations, through online therapy.
Online therapy in California has become an integral part of many people’s lives to maintain a sense of normalcy and validation of what they are going through. Therapy provided support, reinforced the tools we already had, and gave solace to us, when we needed it. Online therapy helped so many families, teens, couples and individuals, make their way through the unknown and see the light at the end of the tunnel. What we have discovered that online therapy provides support, resources, and guidance to so many people who would not be able to consistently go to therapy for help. In fact, online therapy has expanded the audience that therapy can reach. Therefore, has given people more reasons to try therapy and see the benefits that it can provide from the convenience of their home.
How do I know whether in-person or online therapy is right for me?
That depends on a few factors, such as health concerns, lack of availability of local therapist, and difficulty getting transportation are some practical reasons to do online therapy, However, the lack of privacy or space at home, or needing a place designated for the client’s well-being, may lead someone to feel more relaxed and in a confidential environment when meeting therapist at the office. Often therapists see clients online and in-person, depending on availability and scheduling. In the end, whether in-person or online therapy is for you, is a personal choice. There are recent studies (2018) that find online therapy and its results equally as effective as face-to-face sessions, especially for major depression, generalized and social anxiety, stress, and panic disorders.
Regardless of what you choose, Online therapy can help!
In the end, if you want to
Change in your life,
Address self-esteem issues
Stop struggling with various distressing feelings from depression and anxiety
Or believe you deserve something better than what you’ve been through
An online therapist in Long Beach, CA, Orange County, CA, Los Angeles County, CA can help. If you have been trying to do it all, for days, weeks, months, and eventually years, and nothing changes, therapy may be for you. We are your advocates and the advocates for the goals you want to reach. Seeing someone who is unbiased and is open-minded, and curious to learn your struggles from your point of view can work wonders. Therapists are here to empathize without pity, understand the emotional toll your experience has taken on you, and still be able to hold space and support you.
What do therapists believe?
A therapist doesn’t believe that there is ONE way to get out of where you're stuck at, a therapist sees unlimited opportunities and has the resources that you haven’t tried yet. An online therapist is there to help you find what is holding you back, and what is pushing you forward. We are here to be open-minded, honest, curious and have the experience of helping those in the most challenging parts of their lives, with the purpose of solving what’s not working and discovering the strengths that will aid you in living the life you were meant to live and thrive.
What is holding you back from beginning online therapy in California?
When you take that step to contact a therapist, you are taking charge. You are deciding that enough is enough, I want to reach that goal, I want to change that pattern, I want to live and love my life again. That’s where I come in. I am here as an advocate for you reaching your goals and as a resource to help you get through those tough times. I am interested and I am here to listen open-mindedly. Furthermore, I can help you identify what is holding you back and assist you in recognizing and reinforcing your strengths. Together, we will work to apply them to manage whatever distress you may be going through.
My purpose is to collaborate with you so you can achieve the goal that you are struggling with. I provide resources and tools for you to try and see if they work, as well as provide you with unbiased and acknowledgment of your experience. I am here to understand what has gotten you stuck, anxious, stressed, and distressed. Additionally, I am here to alleviate the pain and move towards healing and balance. We hold so much responsibility and ownership of things that are not ours to hold, my job is to hold space for you. In doing so, you can let go of the things that have not been working, and start doing things that will. You will discover and notice the difference between surviving and thriving. Letting go of things that you cannot control while putting energy into things you can. It may a minor shift or a whole change of mindset, it’s up to you.
Begin Online Therapy in Orange County, CA, Long Beach, CA, And Los Angeles County, CA.
Your experience matters first and foremost. It is so easy to tell ourselves that what we are experiencing doesn’t matter. Other people have it worse, right?. Talk with a therapist for more assistance on how you can develop the ability to give yourself grace and room to process your life in a safe and secure environment. At my online and in-person therapy practice, you can learn about me, your online therapist to see if we are a good fit. To get started, schedule your free consultation, or to get started with counseling in Long Beach, CA, follow these simple steps:
Meet with me! Connie Hsu, your online therapist
Start working on yourself. Your feeling matter just as much as anyone else’s/
Other Mental Health Services at Healing Generations Counseling
At my therapy office, I offer online therapy at my Long Beach, CA counseling office. Other mental health services at Healing Generations Counseling include individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, life transitions, divorce recovery, trauma therapy, therapy for teens, support groups for teens, support groups for women, and EMDR Therapy. I also specialize in cross-cultural issues. If you’re dealing with intergenerational trauma or hurt in your family, processing this experience with a therapist may help.
As a therapist, I have a few specialties that may help you. I work with families, cultural issues, and trauma. I offer family therapy and support for parents. Lastly, I offer blended family sessions, parent-child conflict counseling, and counseling for sibling rivalry. Begin therapy today in Long Beach, CA, Orange County, CA, Los Angeles County, CA, or anywhere in the state via online therapy in California.