The Mental Junk Drawer: Why Hire a Human Therapist?

My instagram algorithm knew my neurodivergent mix before I managed to get access to a diagnosis.

It’s becoming a common story, even though the opposite can absolutely be true: the algorithm has been known to hand out the most convenient label when a set of traits or symptoms might be better understood under a different umbrella. (For example, there’s lots of overlap between traits that can fall under both ADHD and burnout, or autism and trauma responses.)

As a mental health professional I am (of course) inclined to exercise some caution when it comes to the all-knowing algorithm. But I’ll admit it can make a great starting point to ask some good questions, because let’s face it, it’s been built to read our traits. And many times, it does that part of the job really, really well.

So when I’m scrolling, there’s literally no end to the advice that is tailored to someone with my particular set of traits. Life hacks, memory aids, groundbreaking new products, all “guaranteed” to change everything for the better. If I eat this, write in that, move in a particular way at a particular time of day, it will fix all of my problems so I can be a better worker/friend/parent/partner.

The algorithm seems VERY confident that it can make me a better person.

The problem is, I’ll see three conflicting time-management strategies presented in under five minutes. All of them are apparently guaranteed to fix my brain so I can be my most productive and well-rested self. But I can’t pomodoro and flowtime and also put away my phone. The first thing I have to do for any of this to be useful, is make a decision. Pick one.

So guess what happens to all this life-changing advice? It goes in the mental junk drawer until I actually have the energy to pick a direction for my next real life change.

And the mental junk drawer is overflowing.

All six of them.

This is where a human therapist can be a big help. Most of the time, I don’t need more information or resources (although therapists have those too!). Chances are, I already have almost everything I need to take the next step that I’ve been trying to psych myself up for.

I just need someone to stand beside me and help me sort through my seven mental junk drawers.

That’s one of my favourite things to do with clients in the virtual counselling room. I want to talk about the things you’ve tried before and hated. The things that used to work but don’t anymore. The one good habit you established early and is still benefitting you now, even though everything else feels like a bit of a mess. The solution you’ve been thinking about trying, but are scared to start. The thing that everyone says should be your priority, but just doesn’t work for you. And the thing that everyone says is NOT important, the one that you can’t let go.

Let’s open up all eight mental junk drawers and see what we’re working with.

You don’t have to sort through all of that by yourself.

You were never meant to.

In a world with too much information, sometimes we still need another human being to see something more than a collection of traits and preferences. Sometimes we need another soul to stand beside us while we face all the things we've shoved in the drawers.

(Yes, all nine of them.)