"I have problems with A, B, and C, and have developed coping strategies X, Y, and Z for dealing with them; however, I'm interested in improving my existing strategies and developing new ones in order to better handle the curveballs life throws me" is a perfectly legitimate reason to seek support; indeed, most therapists would be delighted to work with a patient with such a clear sense of purpose in seeking therapy.
(One mark of a good therapist, IMO, is having a clear sense of what s/he can do to help a patient and when it's time for the therapist/patient relationship to conclude. A therapist's job, quite literally, is to help each patient along to the point where the patient no longer needs the therapist's help. That in and of itself was a huge warning flag, to me, with respect to the craptacular therapist that a mutual friend of ours got rooked by earlier this year.)
Anyway, part of the initial consultation and first couple of sessions would involve talking about the problems that you've already figured out coping strategies for (and any you haven't), and any diagnosis would be made on the basis of that. The fact that you've found coping strategies doesn't mean you're not coping, yanno?
no subject
(One mark of a good therapist, IMO, is having a clear sense of what s/he can do to help a patient and when it's time for the therapist/patient relationship to conclude. A therapist's job, quite literally, is to help each patient along to the point where the patient no longer needs the therapist's help. That in and of itself was a huge warning flag, to me, with respect to the craptacular therapist that a mutual friend of ours got rooked by earlier this year.)
Anyway, part of the initial consultation and first couple of sessions would involve talking about the problems that you've already figured out coping strategies for (and any you haven't), and any diagnosis would be made on the basis of that. The fact that you've found coping strategies doesn't mean you're not coping, yanno?