Why you should see a therapist
“Counseling isn’t for me.” “I’ve tried therapy but didn’t get better.” “I don’t want to talk to a stranger about my problems.” These are some common phrases I hear from people when they’re resistant to the idea of therapy. It’s understandable that therapy isn’t always the first thing people jump to and there are valid emotions surrounding this resistance. I get it - the therapy relationship involves trust. Trusting others, especially a stranger (even a professional, credentialed stranger), takes courage. It can also be expensive. (spoiler alert: I’ll address how you can find free or low cost therapy below)
Therapists take the client-therapist relationship very seriously and we work very hard to provide a place of trust, peace, compassion, and warmth. We value the connection that is created in the therapy office. We do not take it lightly.
Please know: if you have reservations about going to counseling, that’s okay. I do encourage you to try it out, but I also encourage you to find the right counselor for you. Not every therapist will be the right fit for every person.
Why therapy though?
Some people go to counseling when they are in crisis mode, meaning they are experiencing some kind of tragedy, trauma, or difficulty and need help navigating and processing that. They may find that they need professional assistance in navigating their crisis. Others go regularly as a type of mental health maintenance. A tune-up, if you will. They’ve found that talking through issues with their counselor helps keep their mental health in check. A proactive kind of thing.
If you are in crisis mode or you’re experiencing symptoms of mental disorder, please find a counselor near you. If finances are a concern, there are almost always free or low cost resources available locally. When I was doing my internship, I saw clients for free. I was a student, not a professional just yet. I’d taken all the classes, I just hadn’t graduated. I had a lot of the knowledge, just not a ton of experience. With that being said, there are tons of counseling graduate students out there who need to get face-to-face client hours before they can graduate from their programs. You can talk to someone for free or at a lower cost. All you have to do is call around to mental health practices/agencies and ask if they have any interns who are taking clients for free. Even some licensed therapists take on pro bono clients periodically. If they don’t have any interns, chances are they know of free counseling services somewhere. You may have to make a few phone calls, but resources are available. Many therapists also offer sliding scale fees and/or offer the opportunity to use out of network benefits.
Here are just a few advantages to going to therapy:
You have someone to talk to who is bound by confidentiality laws to keep your personal business to themselves.
They’re a third party individual who has the advantage of being outside of the situation and can therefore be un-biased and can offer different perspectives.
They have the head knowledge, no pun intended. They’ve got an education in psychology which means they know about different types of therapy, how the mind works, different coping skills, and what can best help you in your situation. They can tailor your care to your personal situation and your very own personality. They are equipped to help you.
Talking it out with a safe person is incredibly therapeutic. When you confide in someone, you’re letting out all the stuff you’ve kept in your mind and it’s such a relief to let someone else help you carry it all.
Take control of your life and your mental health by seeing a therapist. The resource I most often point people to is psychologytoday.com. Their “Find a Therapist” search tool is so helpful because you can customize your search to your location, the insurance you have, the type of therapy you want/need, and faith-based or not. I hope that you take this as the sign you’ve been looking for to go ahead and go to counseling! It’s time to heal :)