By, Meghan Taylor, LCSW
Studies are finding that more and more Americans are likely to agree with the statement that everyone can benefit from talk therapy, allowing mental healthcare to be viewed in a more favorable light.
Yet for some reason, when it came to my own experience of considering talk therapy, I found myself feeling as though I wasn’t suffering enough to really need it. Even though I am a mental health therapist and advocate, I didn’t feel deserving of treatment.
I began to think about all of the people that, like me, might be feeling as if they aren’t suffering enough to deserve mental health treatment. The truth is, while we have come a long way in terms of normalizing discussions and media images about mental health, there is still so much work to be done in order to remove the stigma and implicit bias that commonly surrounds it.
Approximately 51.5 million Americans seek mental health services every year, yet there’s still this idea that therapy is only for people who are suffering a debilitating mental illness or personal issue- or that people who go to therapy are broken in some way. As someone who has experienced both sides of the couch, I can attest that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
So, if you’re like me and you could use a little push to talk to someone, here are 5 reasons you don’t have to be “broken” to go to therapy:
1. Accountability. This is, by far, one of the most important reasons I continue to see a therapist. The world is made up of such vastly different people with all kinds of different experiences and perceptions. Therapy is the perfect place to explore those perspectives and how they affect our behaviors. A really great therapist will give you compassionate, honest, and realistic feedback when needed, and push you to grow in areas that may be difficult to acknowledge on your own. My therapist is constantly challenging me to dig deeper to understand those around me, and I have become a much better therapist, friend, daughter, and sister because of it.
2. Self-Care and Stress Reduction. I know, I know. Buzz words, right? But they’re only thrown around so often because they really are that important. Self-care isn’t all bubble baths and solitude. Therapy can act as that opportunity for introspection that we all need to be able to identify ways that we can take better care of ourselves. My therapist has referred to many of our sessions as my “check engine light”. Our sessions serve as an opportunity for me to sit, be, and reflect on what it is that I need. It provides the space necessary, if even for just an hour a week, for me to be able to hush the responsibilities waiting for me outside of that door and put that energy into myself.
3. Self- Exploration. Talking with a therapist can provide the opportunity to reflect on thoughts, behaviors, and actions- and how those do or do not line up with your definition of a fulfilling life. I, like many women today, struggle with perfectionism. Exploring, with my therapist, how perfectionism affects my life has allowed me to relinquish that constant need for control in an uncontrollable world- but that’s not even the best part. I have learned that perfectionism wasn’t something about me that needed to be “fixed”. Instead, my therapist has helped me find, appreciate, and hone in on the strengths that come along with that aspect of myself. Self-growth doesn’t always mean you need to change. Knowing what it is that makes you tick- now that’s powerful.
4. Decision Making. For the same reasons as self-exploration, therapy can be a time and place that allows us all to explore different decisions we need to make throughout our lifespan. This can be a decision to move, to enter or exit a relationship of any kind, to take or leave a job, etc. For as long as I can remember, I have been told to just “trust my gut”. But what happens if I don’t understand what my gut is telling me, or I don’t know myself well enough to believe I can trust my gut? Therapy has given me the opportunity to become better attuned to my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that drive my intuition. I not only am constantly getting to know myself better, but I am becoming more and more confident in the decisions I have to make in order to get to where I want to be.
5. Unbiased Support. How many times have you tried to talk to friends or family about something that was concerning you, but you held back to keep from burdening them, or because you were nervous about the response you might get? Anyone who cares about us is going to be emotionally charged in their response to our experiences in life. Yet sometimes we need a sounding board that can provide unbiased and unemotional advice. Your therapist is not your friend, nor should they be. Instead, therapists help you sift through different experiences without any personal attachment. It’s an interesting experience to talk to someone who you don’t have to make like you. This is NOT something I have ever been used to (remember, true perfectionist here). In fact, it took me a few months to stop trying to impress my therapist by anticipating what she might say. Eventually though, I built trust with my therapist. She waited me out with true patience and unconditional support. She gave me the space to ease myself in to my imperfections without fear of repercussion, which has taught me how to have that compassion for myself. How freeing that has been!
While therapy can help treat serious problems, it has the potential to support growth as well as ease suffering. Therapy puts you in the driver’s seat of your own life, allowing space to reorient towards personal growth in the context of a supportive and non-judgmental relationship. At LexCounseling, we have multiple clinicians that are passionate about helping everyone experience the benefits of therapy first hand. Our clinicians are currently offering telehealth sessions and accept a variety of insurances. Check out a list of the insurances we are currently able to accept here and call
859-457-1262 if you’ve been considering seeking support.
You deserve it.