Most people seek therapy during crisis. That's the worst time to find one — waiting lists are long, judgement is impaired, energy for assessing fit is low. Having an established therapist relationship before crisis (even with low contact frequency) means rapid access when needed.
What 'established but minimal' looks like
Initial 4-6 sessions to build the relationship and process current issues. Then quarterly check-ins for maintenance. Easy to scale up to weekly if a crisis emerges. Total cost: £400-800/year for private; free via NHS but harder to scale up rapidly.
Why this matters
Mental health emergencies don't schedule themselves. When you need help in week 1, getting an appointment in week 8 doesn't help. Existing therapist relationship means you can be seen quickly.
If you've considered therapy but waited for clear need, the time to start is now while resources are abundant. Better to have unused therapist capacity than need it without access.