2 Truths & A Lie - Therapy Edition
There are a lot of pre-conceived thoughts around therapy. I am here to debunk the myths and share some little “hidden” gems about therapy for you so you can feel more confident in either attending therapy yourself or sharing the idea of therapy with a loved one!
LIE: Seeing a therapist means you are crazy!
TRUTH: You don’t have to be struggling to see a therapist
TRUTH: Not all therapists will look to diagnose you
First of all, we don’t use the term “crazy” around here! Sure, some individuals may have more challenges or struggles with managing their mental health than others. But that doesn’t mean that you can only benefit from therapy if you have a pressing issue. The fact of the matter is that therapy benefits ALL kinds of people. Many people utilize therapy as an unbiased outlet to share their thoughts and feelings about every day life. Some people go to therapy to understand themselves better. Most therapists have the ability to listen to their clients and be able to reflect and reframe the thoughts so that the client has a better understanding of what is going on in their noggin. Some therapists have the clinical license to diagnose individuals while others don’t. Even when a therapist has the clinical license to diagnose, that doesn’t mean that their main goal is to give their clients a diagnosis. As you may already know, there is a huge stigma around mental health and diagnoses. If you are using health insurance to pay for therapy, the therapist has to provide a diagnosis; however, if you are paying out of pocket for therapy then your therapist isn’t pressured to diagnose you when it might not even be necessary. Besides, you are likely not going to see a therapist to specifically receive a diagnosis. You are more than likely going to see a therapist to talk through what’s been potentially bothering you.
LIE: Seeing a therapist means you are weak
TRUTH: Seeing a therapist means you are actually courageous and STRONG AF!
TRUTH: Seeing a therapist means you are prioritizing your health
Again with that darn stigma around mental health! You might have heard people refer to those who seek out therapy as “weak-minded” but that is just simply not true. It takes a lot of courage for someone to be vulnerable, especially with someone they have never met before. In fact, you may not even be ready to be fully vulnerable when you first meet your therapist. It may take a few sessions to build that trust to share those thoughts and feelings you have held in. But taking that first step to prioritizing your mental health and reaching out to start therapy is quite the flex to showing off your mental strength and your will to become an even stronger individual. It takes more strength for someone to reach out for help to better themselves than it does to be complacent. You should also know that if you’re not in therapy yet that doesn’t mean you aren’t strong. You just might not be ready and that’s okay too! Like I said, beginning therapy takes a lot of courage because it is a big step into a new journey of self-discovery and I believe you will be ready to take that step one day. Just know that your therapist will be there to support you and cheer you on along the way.
LIE: Therapy will fix me and give me all the answers
TRUTH: You don’t need to be “fixed” but therapy can help improve your mindset
TRUTH: Therapists don’t give you answers, they help you find your own answers
Therapy is all about empowerment. As a client in therapy you should feel empowered to express your true self and not feel judged. Instead of focusing on fixing, the focus in therapy is reflecting on past situations or feelings, learning how you process your thoughts, learning how your thoughts are affecting you and your relationships, and developing strategies to help you minimize discomfort and negative thoughts or feelings. Therapy can almost feel like you are looking into a magnified mirror to your inner thoughts. You are sharing your own thoughts and your therapist helps you take a deeper and closer look at those inner thoughts in a way that you may not have noticed before on your own. That means you have the answers you are looking for inside of you, but it just might take a little help from a skilled therapist to help you bring them to light. So don’t get too frustrated if your therapist won’t tell you exactly what to do or how to respond.
& Don’t forget to nourish your mind for a better tomorrow!