Not Ready for Therapy? Here’s Why You’re Not Broken — You Just Need This

When you’re struggling, it feels like everyone has the same advice: “You should go to

therapy.”

There is no one size fits all in mental health, everybody is on their own path - There is no 'right' or 'wrong'

But what if the idea of therapy makes you freeze? What if you’ve tried it, hated it, or it

just doesn’t feel right yet?

Good news: You’re not broken, resistant, or doing it wrong. You might just need a

different starting point and that’s completely valid.

You’re not alone

• Only 12.1% of adults in Great Britain receive any mental health treatment

• Just 3% receive psychological treatment

• Around 58% of people have avoided mental health support despite needing

it

• Younger generations mask their struggles, while 64% of UK adults hide

their real feelings

Therapy Isn’t Always the First (Or Only) Step

We tend to talk about therapy like it’s the golden ticket to feeling better. And yes, for

many people it is life changing. But research shows that only about 43% of adults

with mental illness receive professional treatment (NAMI, 2023) and that gap isn't

just about access. It’s also about readiness, trust, and the type of support offered.

Sometimes, traditional therapy can feel:

• Too clinical

• Too intense

• Too soon

If you’re neurodiverse, navigating a trauma history, or just wired a bit differently, you

might crave a more practical, relational approach first.

Alternative Support Exists — And It’s Legit

Not ready for therapy? You still have options.

Here are a few:

• Private Occupational Therapists: Especially helpful for neurodiverse people -

OTs can work on daily life skills, sensory needs, routines, and environmental

adaptations. It’s support for living, not just talking.

• Specialist Mental Health Nurses: Some nurses aren’t just generalists — they

specialise in areas like eating disorders, ADHD or trauma, offering a mix of

relational support, practical advice, and risk management skills.

• Social Workers with Additional Training: Some social workers undertake

psychotherapy training, or specific mental health qualifications, giving you a

social justice-informed, human-first approach.

• Life Coaches (the good ones): A properly accredited life coach (like those

registered with the International Coaching Federation) can help you set goals,

reframe challenges, and build motivation without diving deep into past trauma

before you’re ready.

Each of these roles brings a different flavour of support and for many, they’re exactly

the right bridge into deeper healing work later on.

Choosing Your “Next Right Thing”

Maybe therapy will be a good fit for you down the line. Maybe it won’t. The important

thing is finding what helps you right now.

Healing doesn’t have to look like lying on a leather couch talking about your childhood

(unless you want it to). It can look like:

• Building a daily structure that works for your needs, such as an AM routine,

regular meals or daily movement

• Journaling about anything, everything or nothing much in particular!

• Having someone decode medical language and help you advocate for yourself

• Getting unstuck from overwhelm with a coaching plan

• Learning practical strategies to manage mental health without feeling "patient-

ified"

• Learn breathing techniques such as box breathing or 4-7-8

• EFT – emotional freedom technique or tapping

The list truly is endless, and search engines, AI, friends and family all are incredible

resources for finding what works for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all in mental health — and the best kind of support is the one you actually use.

Final Thought

If therapy isn’t calling your name right now, you’re not failing. You’re tuning into your

needs and that’s actually the first step toward healing.Tell me in the comments what kind of support has worked best for you when traditional therapy didn’t feel right?

Many thanks,

Ruth Jacobs,

CEO, RMN, BSc