We say it a lot: context is everything in mental health. That isn’t to say that we are bound by our circumstances and limited in the level of mental wellness we can experience. It’s really just about incorporating a holistic view of the things that affect our mental and emotional health. So what’s the best way to address these things within our own unique circumstances? Our opinion is to keep mental health local!
Mental health is about more than just what happens in therapy sessions. Truly, efforts to improve mental wellness incorporate a million things outside the therapy room. But what actually happens in therapy?
In a very broad sense, mental health clinicians expertly (Remember, they are educated, trained, and equipped professionals!) walk you through processing difficult emotions and events you’ve experienced, while also helping you develop behavioral management skills and habits to overcome mental health disorders you may be dealing with. These coupled with the proactive habits and mindful choices you make outside therapy sessions will almost always help you feel better.
So why keep mental health local? It all goes back to context!
Your unique plan of action and treatment to manage the symptoms you’re experiencing will be different from others. Therefore, your mental health relies on the resources near you that can best suit your needs.
This first part of seeking care for your mental health needs to work for you. However, sometimes constraints on the mental health ecosystem limit the options for mental health clinicians near you. That can make things tough to follow this idea of keeping mental health local.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that online therapy is about as effective as in-person sessions except for one key area: life satisfaction.
We’d argue that this is because of the HUGE (but often overlooked) aspect of mental health that is COMMUNITY. Again, context is everything in mental health. We can’t stress it enough. Therefore, online therapy won’t provide long-term relief without the presence of local, community-based mental health resources that help you enact the things you process through and learn in therapy.
As we mentioned, mental health care involves more than what is typically thought of as “mental health” (e.g., behavior modification, emotional regulation, thought-patterns, etc.). Really, pretty much all of these things can be addressed and worked on in an online therapy session, but face-to-face interaction is necessary for that full experience of human connection and relationship. We are better together.
Boosts in life satisfaction don’t rely on a singular source, but rather a multitude of consistent activities that help people identify (and live out) their purpose and passions. For practicality and efficiency, we believe finding local opportunities generally works best.
That’s why we helped create Feel Better Fort Worth, which highlights local therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists as well as local mindful resources that people can enjoy, connect with others through, and grow in. And they’re all available locally in the Fort Worth, Texas area!
Creative outlets like museums, art galleries, and live music help us feel inspired. Gyms and fitness centers offer camaraderie and consistent accountability in exercise goals. Local coffee shops support small-business owners and their teams and provide unique opportunities for connection. What are your favorite local activities that boost life satisfaction and improve your mental health?
We can all feel better together!
If you’re in the North Texas area, check out www.FeelBetterFortWorth.com for some amazing local resources that promote holistic healing in our community. Together, let’s keep mental health local.
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