We all have times when we feel a bit down, lost or confused due to things like work pressure, relationship strains or money problems. Sometimes we can work through these on our own but sometimes we get overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn.

Prolonged periods of stress, anxiety, anger or other negative emotions can lead to physical health problems such as insomnia, sudden weight changes or addictions.

If you are struggling to maintain a healthy state of mind, it is ok to seek professional help just as you would if you had a physical health issue. While you may feel ashamed that you are not coping remember that it is up to you how much you disclose to others and there is less stigma involved these days.

Psychologists are mental health care professionals who focus on behaviour. They use a range of talking therapies to help people identify negative thoughts patterns and to develop better ways to cope in stressful situations. There are many psychologists in Melbourne but they don’t all use the same approach or have the same qualifications.

The different types of therapy used by psychologists can be grouped into three broad categories; cognitive and behavioural therapies, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies and humanistic therapies.

Cognitive and behavioural therapies are therapies are focused on thoughts (cognitive) and behaviours. They have the premise that we can change our thoughts and behaviours to help overcome specific problems such as anxiety, addiction, and phobias. One of the most common forms is known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies focus on the unconscious thought patterns we develop in early childhood. Your psychologist will help you explore these patterns to determine how they have influenced your adult behaviour. Therapies include Jungian therapy and psychoanalysis.

Humanistic therapies are more centred on the ‘here and now’. They help by allowing us to gain a clearer understanding of our personal strengths and to take ownership of our self-development and personal growth. Existential therapy and Gestalt therapy are examples of this approach.

One of the best ways to find a mental health professional in Melbourne is to firstly make a list of the things that are worrying you and of the kind of help you are looking for. The TrueCounsellor website has an extensive directory listing a range of mental health professionals that you can search through by postcode or name.

Author's Bio: 

Hello, my name is Karen Cole 40 years-old woman, living in Philadelphia, United States. I am the founder and editor-in-chief of the HealthBenefitAdmin online magazine and I am responsible for the published content that would help my precious readers to live as happily, healthily and sustainability as possible.