Mental health content is everywhere. If you are looking for self-help resources, there

hasn't been a better time. We have the traditional self-help book market, Instagram, TikTok,

mental health apps, and podcasts like the one you're listening to right now. But a self-help

always a good thing. How can you utilize it for your best interests?

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist. I'm your host Dr Monica Johnson. Every week on this show,

I'll help you face life challenges with evidence-based approaches,

a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment. I'm personally a big proponent of increasing access to

information. The only reason I do this podcast is because I fundamentally believe that everyone

should have increased access to information and care for their mental health needs.

However, not all self-help is good, and at times, it's no longer warranted to keep yourself

solely in the self-help category without the guidance of a mental health professional.

Today, you're going to get Dr J's guide to good self-help. The first thing I'm going to talk

about is knowing the source of the information. Are they a healthcare professional, influencer,

or everyday person of the world? I was recently at an event where someone approached me to talk

about techniques that they had learned for a mental health issue they were having. When I asked

more questions about the techniques and where they learned them, it was from the popular

social media app TikTok. It turned out that the person they were following wasn't a mental health

professional. Simply someone who struggled in the same way as they did and expressed that these

techniques were helpful for them. The problem is, these same techniques were not having the same

outcome for the person I was talking to. In fact, one of the things they were doing was

contraindicated because of other health issues they had going on. I encouraged this person to seek

the help of a therapist who would work in conjunction with their PCP. No matter where you're getting

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