The Who, Why, and What of Seeking Therapy
Nancy Bergeron, R.Psych.
While mental health is in the forefront of media these days, many still do not seek help. Some may feel their ‘problems’ are not big enough, important enough, or perhaps even unsolvable. Others may think therapy is reserved for those suffering from a mental illness. Hopefully this article will shine a light on who seeks therapy, why people go to therapy, and what therapy can be like.
Who goes to therapy:
People wanting to vent about life events
People dealing with a loss or trauma
People wanting to work through relationship issues
People wanting to learn why they self-sabotage (the story behind the behaviour)
People experiencing big life transitions like: separation, having a baby, empty nesting, or career changes
People who are determining if they are ready to make a change
People who need support when making difficult changes
People who experience anxiety, depression, or other mental/emotional issues
People who are struggling with global events
People of all types: therapists, coaches, and leaders
Why go to therapy:
To learn more about yourself
To process your life events
To help manage physical pain
To cry without being prompted to stop or cheer up
To have someone hold space for your difficult times and/or emotions
To talk about people in your life who need therapy but won’t go
To hear yourself talk without competing dialogue. A therapist won’t talk about their problems or make their problems bigger than yours.
To share things that other people don’t have time or want to hear about
To get a new viewpoint or unbiased perspective
To help you develop insight and coping skills
What you won’t hear in therapy:
Things like “it’s going to be okay”, “I know how you feel”, or “you’ll get over it”
What therapy might be like:
You get an entire hour to talk about whatever you want, guilt-free
Your feelings will be validated
You get to ‘think’ out loud, which helps you understand your thoughts in a different way
You will feel empathized with instead of pitied or judged
You will feel like you are not alone in your challenges
As you can see, anyone can go to therapy. The only normal is that we are all abnormal. Many people have a therapist, just as they have a doctor and a dentist. The sooner you gain some expert perspective on things that may be troubling you, the faster you will learn the skills to cope with other things that come along. Sometimes just a few sessions can do a world of good. Please consider your mental health as important as your physical health. Wishing you all good mental health and wellbeing.
Did you know? You do not need a doctor’s referral to see a counsellor!