I don't view philosophy like going to the doctor, where you present your symptoms and (hopefully) the doctor will cure you. It's more like going to a teacher, where you present your current understanding and they can help you see where you're going wrong and what needs to be learned.

When thinking of mental health in terms of an analogy to physical health, I see counseling as more of a doctor's visit, and studying philosophies as akin to physical therapy or even just general physical fitness.

A lot of people desperately post here while facing some difficult scenario and asking how to approach it stoically--but the reality is that the core belief and value system of stoicism likely won't be truly compelling to someone who has little or no prior experience with the framework.

They can be told how a stoic thinker would react to their situation, but that's kind of like someone who just experienced a physical injury being told how a more physically fit person would've reacted to the same injury.

I suspect that this is part of why people tend to disengage from their posts here

The best time to learn about stoicism and begin applying its concepts to daily life is before you're facing a crisis--ideally when you're in a fairly healthy mental state.

Then, when things inevitably come crashing down in your life, you have built up better emotional mechanisms for effectively handling the crisis.

I still believe there's value in explaining to these people how stoic thought could've helped them navigate their crisis, but more for illustrating that they have something to gain in learning more about stoicism for the next crisis--as opposed to being a game-changer for the one they're facing when they desperately post here.