Summer is Not a Break from You: Why Delaying Therapy Can Cost More Than Time

When we think of summer, we think of freedom. Long days, warm nights, the thrill of breaking routine. Vacations, barbecues, and beach days take the front seat—and often, our mental health takes the back.

It’s easy to tell ourselves, “I’ll start therapy in the fall.”“Let me just get through this trip.”“I don’t want to waste sessions when I might miss a week.”

But here’s the truth: when we delay care, we’re not just rescheduling an appointment. We’re putting a part of ourselves on pause—the part that’s asking to be heard, supported, and nurtured.

Summer doesn’t stop anxiety. Sunshine doesn’t erase burnout. A change of scenery doesn’t always fix the patterns we keep cycling through. If anything, the shift in season can bring new challenges: overstimulation, disrupted routines, increased social demands, or even a sense of loneliness masked by everyone else’s highlight reel.

The good news? Therapy doesn't have to be weekly to be meaningful. Even biweekly or monthly sessions can create powerful momentum.

Here are a few things we can do, even with a lighter summer schedule:

• Establish a clear framework for therapy, so you know where you’re going even if you take a break.

• Explore executive functioning challenges—like time management, task initiation, or emotional regulation—with practical, tailored strategies.

• Create a self-regulation toolbox for those high-sensory summer moments.

• Practice boundary setting ahead of social events, travel, or family gatherings.

• Process recent transitions or prepare for upcoming ones, like a job change, move, or relationship shift.

• Build routines that actually work for your brain, not just the ones Instagram says you should follow.

• Identify patterns of burnout or people-pleasing that get amplified during “fun” seasons.

• Carve out space to just be you, without performing or masking.

And if you’ve been wondering whether you might have ADHD, summer is actually the perfect time for an assessment. With fewer obligations and a little extra breathing room in your schedule, it’s easier to reflect on your experiences, complete the testing process, and finally get some clarity. Starting an ADHD assessment now means you’ll head into fall equipped with deeper understanding and practical tools—not just survival strategies.

Choosing therapy or assessment during summer is choosing you—even when life is loud. It’s a quiet act of resistance against the idea that care can wait. And it’s a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t have an off-season.

So if you’ve been waiting for the “right” time, let this be your sign:You don’t have to be fully available to start. You just have to take the first step.