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We have all been here, right? The thought has run through our head - “I don’t need to go to therapy… nothing traumatic or severe has happened in my life.” Honestly, this is how I was raised. This is how a lot of society was raised too! Although anxiety, depression, and overall negative mental health is on the rise, normalizing going to therapy has also risen. This is a wonderful thing. I foresee a world where we all believe in the benefits of therapy for everyone - no matter the severity of symptoms. We can lead the charge by actively understanding that severity of symptoms is not the bar we measure going to therapy on. No matter your level of distress, going to therapy can have numerous benefits.
But what if we do go through something traumatic? Of course, therapy is there for you! Life has so many ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like there are way more downs than ups, right? Have you gone through a major life event recently? Are you experiencing painful symptoms as a result of that event? Are you feeling confused and stuck because of that event? We encourage you to seek help in therapy! Seek help through those events. You do not have to go through them alone. It can be intimidating to approach someone and ask for help but it is important you do so.
I believe that sometimes individuals view therapy as strictly “advice” from the therapist. Similar to a professor teaching a class. Therapy in actuality is much different than this. Although therapists can offer insights and knowledge, they don’t conduct therapy to profess any agenda. It is not a professor teaching a student but the therapist guiding you to form your own conclusions. You take your therapeutic experience exactly where you want to. The agenda is… you! Therapy is the playground to process your life. As you process your experience, you gain insight and knowledge on how to excel. Whether you are young or old, male or female, rich or poor, therapy can positively impact your life.
Everyone has core conflicts and beliefs they develop through their environment. Try this - think about something you constantly feel anxious or get nervous about. Do you get nervous when it comes to asking girls or guys out? Are you afraid to commit to relationships? What are your feelings towards money? Maybe you feel anxious about one of these things. Odds are, that anxiety developed from a certain (or many compounding) experiences you had through your life. Therapy is a great playground to work through these conflicts. The therapist can act as your guide to understand where these beliefs came from. You then process these beliefs with the therapist eventually overcoming them. In my years as a therapist, I have come to realize that these beliefs only harden with time. The sooner we can become aware of them, the better. We can begin processing them and overcoming them. I encourage you to begin your journey to overcome the beliefs that are holding you back!
One tip I would add - even if you are not actively going to therapy, it is important that you have one in the back of your pocket. If something happens in your life, you have someone you know and trust that you can reach out to. The amount of times or frequency you see them can fluctuate. Maybe you need to only go once per month. Maybe you only need to see them a couple times a year. Whatever the amount or frequency is, I encourage you to have someone you can reach out to. Sometimes people say “well i have friends or my family to do this.” However, the incredible benefit from therapy is that they have no personal tie to you. They are free of judgment or pushing any agenda because your life has zero effect on theirs.
Don’t skip therapy! Your brain will thank you for that!
Emily
