Summer Slows Down—Making It the Ideal Time to Start Therapy, Experts Say

As summer approaches and workloads ease, mental health professionals are encouraging individuals to take a proactive step toward emotional well-being by beginning therapy during the season.

Chamin Ajjan, LCSW, A-CBT, CST, a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience and Clinical Director of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy, says summer provides a unique opportunity to begin therapy—not in crisis, but in calm. “Therapy isn’t just for when everything falls apart,” she states. “One of the best times to start is when life feels relatively stable. And summer often gives you that sweet spot.”

Man in therapy | Source: Getty Images

Ajjan points to seasonal factors that make the timing advantageous. Many professionals experience a natural slowdown in work during summer months—fewer meetings, colleagues on vacation, and reduced pressure. This creates more mental and emotional bandwidth to focus inward and invest in self-care.

“There’s something about summer that gets people going,” she notes. “We clean out closets. We book flights. We finally show up to that Pilates class we saved on Instagram three months ago.” She urges individuals to harness that same momentum for mental health: building emotional strength, practicing coping skills, and learning stress warning signs before burnout sets in.

Man in therapy | Source: Getty Images

Ajjan challenges the stigma that therapy is only for times of distress. “Do you wait until your car breaks down to get it serviced?” she asks. “Prevention is everything.”