If you’ve launched a new venture, started your own business, or even pursued a side hustle, you likely already know that the entrepreneurial path can be as tough as it is rewarding.
Chances are, you’ve felt a mix of excitement, fear, and overwhelm. With all of the ups, downs, and uncertainties that come with the entrepreneurial journey, it can help to talk with someone who can support you through the ebbs and flows.
Fortunately, there are many resources out there to help you feel supported on the entrepreneurial path. You may benefit from working with a coach or mentor, or by joining a masterminds group of fellow business owners who can cheer you on.
In addition to these options, seeing a therapist can be a powerful way to learn healthy coping skills, practice self-care, and combat the challenges that arise when starting your own business.
Curious about how therapy can help support you? Here are 10 reasons to consider a therapist as part of your support system.
As an entrepreneur, you’re no stranger to ambiguity and having to navigate an uncertain future. Maybe you’re launching a new idea and you’re not sure how it’ll be received. It’s possible you’re not sure where your next paycheck will come from, or perhaps you want to raise capital and have no clue where to begin.
During these moments, it’s easy to be hard on yourself and feel insecure about your path. Therapy can be a great tool for helping you manage difficult thoughts, emotions, and insecurities that arise. Plus, with a trusted therapist, you can learn about healthy ways to approach an uncertain future, making it easier to navigate ambiguity in the long run.
Seeing a therapist can be a powerful way to learn healthy coping skills, practice self-care, and combat the challenges that arise when starting your own business.
2. Therapy can help you deal with pressure and perfectionism.
When launching a project on your own, it can feel like the weight of the world rests on your shoulders. You may feel like you have to do everything 100% yourself, that there’s little room for error, or that failure is simply not an option. As an entrepreneur, you’re likely a highly ambitious go-getter with big dreams, and it can feel exhausting to consistently set the bar high for yourself. It can feel like your work is never enough.
Psychotherapists at Clarity Therapy help clients build resilience and feel confident in their personal strengths and abilities. When it comes to perfectionism, it’s important for entrepreneurs to embrace the journey, and know that it’s okay to mess up along the way.
When it comes to perfectionism, it’s important for entrepreneurs to embrace the journey, and know that it’s okay to mess up along the way.
A trusted therapist can help you unpack how you’re feeling and provide a safe space for you to explore your beliefs around perfectionism. Therapy can also help alleviate the pressure to perform perfectly all the time, providing a space where your feelings and experiences are affirmed and validated.
3. Therapy can help you reach your business goals.
Chances are, you have a million items on your to-do list and not enough hours in the day to address them. Therapy can be an excellent resource for helping you stay on track toward both your personal and professional goals. Plus, it can give you a roadmap for how to achieve them.
Therapists who specialize in this area often work with entrepreneurial clients who are juggling multiple business ideas at once, from creating an online fitness platform to selling baked goods to launching a new clothing line. You’re allowed to have all of these dreams and goals, and allowed to see them through. For many, it comes down to setting realistic goals and a willingness to refine your plan again and again. Most of the time it’s a matter of taking one small step that accumulates into a bigger impact over time.
A therapist can help you with goal-setting, organizational skills, and accountability as you work toward achieving each exciting milestone. During therapy, you may be encouraged to use worksheets, personal calendars, or make a list of SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-sensitive) to help you stay on track.
4.Therapy can help you tune into your body.
How many times have you pulled an all-nighter to work on your next genius idea, or skipped meals to crank out a project in a few hours? When was the last time you got a good night’s rest? Are you practicing proper eating habits, drinking enough water, and leaving some time in your schedule for self-care? If not, it may be time to check in with your physical health.
When you’re pouring your heart and soul into your business, taking care of your body can often fall to the wayside. Seeking therapy can be a great way to tune into how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally.
A therapist can help you take inventory of your current lifestyle and give you a sense of accountability that will encourage healthy habits as you tackle the challenging world of entrepreneurship.
Understanding and fostering a strong sense of values can help you stay connected to your entrepreneurial vision and serve as a foundation for the work you do.
As an entrepreneur, staying authentic to your values is essential for fueling your vision. There will be difficult moments along the way, and in these moments, recalling your values can help ground you in what’s really important. Therapy helps you explore your value systems, from relationships and personal wellness to the values you want to instill in your company.
Entrepreneurs often have a particular vision they want to bring to fruition. For some people during this process, they can get lost in the ‘how’ and start forgetting their ‘why.’
Therapy can even help clients uncover their values through personality inventories such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Results identify your key strengths and remind you of the characteristics that will keep you grounded while creating your business.
Understanding and fostering a strong sense of values can help you stay connected to your entrepreneurial vision and serve as a foundation for the work you do. When you have a strong foundation, it becomes easier to approach your work with enthusiasm, focus, and healthy perspective.
Therapy helps you explore your value systems, from relationships and personal wellness to the values you want to instill in your company.
6. Therapy can help you feel less alone.
Being an entrepreneur can be isolating. You’re hustling away at your dream, often behind closed doors, working toward a cause you believe in. Maybe your family doesn’t understand what you’re doing, or your friends who work 9–5 jobs don’t fully understand the struggles you’re experiencing.
As an entrepreneur, you may often feel like you’re alone in the process. The truth is, you don’t have to do it alone. Maybe there’s a person in your life who is really good at finance who can give you a few pointers, or a template to help you track your progress. It’s important to have a team of people who support your dream, your vision, and your goals—who can help make your dreams a reality.
It can be tough to connect with others when you’re in the trenches of building your own business. Therapy can help you feel less alone in the journey, providing a supportive space to share what you’re going through. Plus, your therapist can share valuable tips for combating isolation and increasing social support.
Connecting with a therapist can help you feel confident and supported, while ensuring that you’re not alone on this tricky yet exciting entrepreneurial journey.
7. Therapy can help you combat fear of failure.
“What will people think of me? What happens if nobody buys my product? What if I don’t meet my revenue goals?”
These are a few of the many concerns entrepreneurs grapple with when starting a new venture. They have big dreams and even bigger ambitions, but the fear of failure can be soul-crushing.
Speaking with a therapist can be a great way to learn practices for overcoming fear of failure, such as mindfulness-based strategies or guided visualizations. Therapy can also help you develop stress management skills, shift negative thought patterns, and gain confidence in your endeavors.
8. Therapy can help you set healthy boundaries.
As an entrepreneur, you’re likely wearing multiple hats while chasing your business dreams. Between family, friends, clients, and professional networks, there comes a time when healthy boundaries are necessary to take care of your well-being.
Setting boundaries (especially with people close to you!) can be tricky, and therapy is a great resource for exploring where you may need to establish some distance.
For instance, maybe you can’t be available for your friends during the work week, but you set aside quality time each month to catch up. Maybe your 14-hour work days aren’t exactly sustainable, and you need to rethink your boundaries around work hours.
Therapy helps you re-evaluate your schedule and set up a workflow and lifestyle that supports you.
People often undervalue what they’re good at. Everyone has a natural proclivity for something. Sometimes we just need someone to point us in the right direction.
Taking business courses. Creating a website. Networking. Following up with clients. Figuring out finances. Marketing yourself to the masses, unsure if what you’re doing is landing or falling on deaf ears. How many times have you looked at your hard work and thought, “Will this ever pay off?”
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the business game for a while, confidence is key. Therapy can help boost your self-esteem as you navigate the challenging road to entrepreneurship, and having a trusted therapist to validate your experience can be meaningful during the tough moments.
People often undervalue what they’re good at. Skilled therapists encourage new entrepreneurs to take a chance on their ideas and remember their strengths. Everyone has a natural proclivity for something. Sometimes we just need someone to point us in the right direction.
Having a trusted therapist to validate your experience can be meaningful during the tough moments.
10. Therapy allows you to show up for yourself.
Between juggling the personal, administrative, financial, and organizational aspects of your business, it can feel impossible to find time for yourself. While it feels like there are barely enough hours in the day, booking a therapy appointment is a great way to hold yourself accountable and take care of your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
For 45 minutes to an hour of your day, you have uninterrupted time that’s 100% tailored to you. Apart from the designated personal time, a therapist can help you show up more authentically and learn to advocate for yourself in new ways. Know that you, too, deserve the attention and care that you spend on your entrepreneurial dreams.
Entrepreneurship is no easy road, but you don’t have to walk the path alone. Therapy can be a powerful tool to help you practice self-care, establish healthy boundaries, boost your self-esteem, and more. Click here to connect with a therapist who provides counseling for entrepreneurs, and to explore if therapy is right for you.
We have experience helping new and seasoned entrepreneurs maintain their energy and wellbeing. Click here to connect with a therapist who specializes in working with entrepreneurs.
Dr. Logan Jones
Dr. Logan Jones is a Psychologist and Founder of Clarity Therapy. Sign up for his free 30 Days of Gratitude email series and follow him on Instagram at @drloganjones.
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