“Does therapy really help?  Can it help me?”

The short answer is yes.  But there is a lot to consider with that answer.  So let’s break it down a bit by considering by perspective. 

Perspective is something that we often forget about or take for granted as we move through life.  We experience stressors or conflicts, intense losses or moments of feeling helplessness to get unstuck.  And when this happens our first go to is usually an internet search.  And when that feels exhausted with no relief or answers we may move on to talking to a trusted friend or family member.  To be clear these are not problematic attempts to help yourself, however self-help and advice from friends or family may not always give you the kind of perspective that you need to feel capable to improve your situations.  Friends and family are bias and may not be able to offer a nonjudgmental suggestion.  The articles or message boards on the internet may make you feel worse.  So you need to consider a new perspective. That’s where therapy comes in to help.  Having a person to share difficult symptoms, distressing thoughts and feelings, perpetual or insurmountable problems, and relationship challenges helps to bring new perspective.  To be clear you do not need to adopt all the things that the therapist says as the right way or best way of doing something, rather it is something to help gain perspective of yourself and your situation.  

Let’s look at other benefits.  Therapy provides…

• An opportunity to learn and develop strategies for coping with different situations. 

• An opportunity to practice self-reflection and awareness as well as consider how different perspectives could impact your life. 

• An opportunity to work on habits you would like to change.

• Improve, understand and communication about relationships in your life.

• An opportunity to gain insight into personal behaviors and interpretations of situations, relationships and your own self concept. 

• An opportunity to set and work towards goals for yourself and your life. 

• An opportunity to handle difficult emotions such as grief, guilt, and shame.

• An opportunity to work through trauma.

• And an opportunity to handle conflict more effectively.​

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“I understand that therapy helps some people but I am usually the person that helps other people and can handle my own issues, is therapy really for me?”

     To be honest everyone can benefit from therapy,  and having a place to work through their thoughts, feelings, situations, and challenges in life. You may be skillful in helping others and have a way of demonstrating great empathy or problem solving suggestions.  This can absolutely be a strength and asset to your own journey, but does not mean that therapy would not be helpful for you as well.

      Something to consider… when your friends, coworkers, and/or family members come to you for advice or share with you that they need to see someone for their current issues.  One would expect that you would show compassion and support, maybe even praise for their decision.  Don’t you think you deserve to give yourself that same level of support and compassion?  

     Remember just because you have experience and possible success with handling problems in the past does not mean that seeking help now for this issue is some sort of failure or shortcoming. 

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