Consider what kind of therapist you’d like to work with – and keep searching until you find the right fit

A lot of people feel bad. One in five American adults experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the UK, 40.5% of people with anxiety experienced “medium” or “high” levels in 2022 and 16% of adults experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

For many, psychotherapy is an effective way to address a range of concerns – from diagnosed mental illnesses to a general sense of dissatisfaction or inertia.

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© Illustration: Carmen Casado/The Guardian

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© Illustration: Carmen Casado/The Guardian

The recovery period was grueling and painful but it gave me the unexpected gifts of resilience and empathy

The day after I turned nine, 27 August 1961, I conquered the bicycle. After weeks of wobbly, failed attempts while on vacation at my older cousin Lillian’s house in Michigan, I had finally done it! I got on that bike and away I went. I turned a corner without falling and rode back to the porch, where my friends whooped and hollered in celebration.

The cheers faded suddenly. Everyone stared at me. Lillian, zombie-eyed with her mouth open, held a shotgun pointed downwards. Somehow, I hadn’t heard it.

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© Photograph: Camille Farrah Lenain/The Guardian

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© Photograph: Camille Farrah Lenain/The Guardian

A large study found that men lost seven years of life expectancy and women lost nine years, compared with counterparts without the disorder.

© Brandon Thibodeaux for The New York Times