If you used to see a therapist, but quit, there’s no need to feel ashamed. Many people go through similar experiences. And just because you stopped going doesn’t mean can’t start seeing a therapist again.

“I think it’s understandable that someone who’s had a bad experience in therapy wouldn’t want to go back,” says Registered Psychotherapist Kerri Kimoto. “You put all your trust in a system, in a solution, or in a person, and then it wasn’t good for you, right?”

Kimoto notes that people who stop seeking help with their mental health may quit because the process made them feel worse than they already did, or even feel judged. But she says the most important thing to remember is that you are in control. 

“You’re a person who deserves to feel good, who deserves to reach out, who deserves support and connection,” she says. 

Often, people feel they don’t have a safe place to express their emotions without judgement. A therapist gives them that.

“Even just sending an email to your therapist, that can be that connection and that safe place, so we don’t go right into fight or flight,” says Kimoto. “That leap could make the biggest change for you.”