Over the past 10 years, I’ve noticed a major change with new clients.
More clients already have some official, professional terms to describe their symptoms. They use the *fancy* words.
They want to know: “Do I have ADHD?” “Am I on the spectrum?” “Is this a trauma response?”
Now, this is expected when many of my clients are therapists themselves. But this is becoming more common with non-therapist clients too. And even though we should be careful with social media and now AI too, I still highkey love it when you come in with your questions!
When you come talking that therapy talk, even if you may not understand everything about it, it shows me you’re a curious person and a deep thinker.
You might have gotten some awareness of an issue from social media, but then you looked further.
You don’t have to be a therapist to already know way more about mental health than the average person did a decade ago.
I know you’re smart. You know you’re smart.
I don’t need to quiz you or second-guess you; I’m here to help you dig deeper than the algorithm can. We can work out the details of all these terms like trauma, neglect, or narcissism so you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else.
To be clear, there’s a big difference between a TikTok diagnosis and your clinical diagnosis.
For starters, when I’m interviewing you and getting to know you, I’m curious about anything that could be causing these issues, from diet, sleep, stress and stress to deaths in the family, bipolar disorder, and yes, your childhood. There’s a very good chance I’ll gently remind you to get that physical exam you’ve been putting off.
But as things get more clear through the conversation…you’re gonna have a lightbulb moment and go, “oh…so THAT’s why I do that…”
It’s a beautiful thing to watch. Because right after that, you’re going to have about a thousand questions:
Questions like:
Wait so, that’s not just an ADHD thing?
I think my grandma does the same thing…were those panic attacks too?
Will I get this under control in time to stop sabotaging my promotion at work?
Are my kids gonna hate me?
Do people like me get better?
How can I have PTSD when no one even hit me?
When big insights hit you, you do not want to be all alone with your phone. You want to be with a living, breathing, reassuring person who can say “yes, people like you DO get better. I see it every day.” A secure, informed space can help you carry it a little more easily.
Ultimately, a diagnosis is just a description. It’s a shortcut to communicate your experiences.
Having your diagnosis can open you up to a deeper understanding (and more compassion) for yourself.
That’s why mental health videos do so well on TikTok. It’s nice to feel like someone out there gets it and feels what you feel.
When you’re ready for that person to be not just “out-there” but nearby, sitting with you, present, and actually able and willing to help, you’re ready for a real therapy experience. Compassionate, effective EMDR could be exactly what you need.
Ready to Move Past the Diagnosis?
Schedule a Consultation to explore EMDR therapy for yourself.
If you’re a therapist, you can bring your official clinical opinions with you! All of your experience and perspective is welcome in the room.
And if you’re not a therapist, bring your best guesses about yourself and your needs! You could be on to something, so let’s sort it out together?
We’ll discuss whether TikTok was right, but more importantly, we’ll discuss what to do next.