Life is challenging, and with the busyness of our schedule, therapy can feel like one more thing to overwhelm us. So, instead of seeking out therapy, we attempt to handle it on our own or wait it out. When we rely solely on our capabilities, we often leave space for our symptoms to worsen, and we become stuck on how to move forward.
Therapy is a powerful tool for self-discovery, healing, and improvement. Stigma and misconceptions often leave people hesitating to seek out readily available help. Let’s explore the importance of therapy, challenge the myths, and highlight the benefits of therapy. Even just learning more about the therapy process and why we need therapy is a step toward curiosity, which expands our perspective on change.
Why We Need Therapy: How Therapy Helps
Many of our thoughts, beliefs, and expectations are formed by our earliest experiences in life, including those that took place in our mother’s womb. Through daily interactions, we learned how to conform and adapt for survival. Our brain processes information received through our senses to identify and respond to potential dangers. Often, however, this can lead to misperception and misinformation, leading to us forming shameful core beliefs about who we are. For example, when growing up, if you heard your mother tell you to “stop crying” your brain may interpret that as unsafe if she had a different tone of voice or facial expression. If you continue to have this experience with a sibling or teacher, your brain will send signals that it is unsafe to express your emotions through crying. Your brain cannot consider that perhaps mom wanted to empower you, a sibling was mocking the television, or the teacher was reading a story. The brain starts to make conclusions for better predictability, even if they are not the most accurate. Therapy becomes essential in learning the narratives that our brain has created to identify which ones need to be updated for a more accurate depiction of reality. You can learn more by watching my video on Why We Need Therapy.
Debunking Myths About Therapy
Myths that create a stigma around therapy become significant barriers that prevent people from seeking out care promptly, if at all. While there are an endless number of reasons why people won’t go to therapy, here are three myths:
Therapy is Too Expensive
The belief that therapy is expensive usually comes from an avalanche of other therapy myths, such as, “I’d have to commit for a set timeframe,” “I can’t afford to go to therapy weekly,” or “I can just talk to myself for free.” Let’s face it: therapy is an investment. However, the expense of going to therapy is perhaps not as far out of reach as you may think. Many people often have coverage for therapy through their medical insurance or employer. Usually, these benefits can go overlooked and underused. Insurance and employer benefits are always a great place to start when exploring therapy options with minimal financial risks. For those who cannot find providers in-network, many also overlook the out-of-network benefits they have that can provide some financial support in covering sessions.
If the only option is to pay out of pocket, the fee for therapy may be more doable than you realize. You do not have to commit to a set timeframe, or you don’t have to attend weekly sessions. According to PsychologyToday’s database, the average cost per session in the Kansas City Area is $125. Committing to a session once a month would cost just as much, if not less, than the person attending weekly sessions and paying a copay. Consistency is most important in treatment, as some help is better than no help. Additionally, therapists will typically have a set number of slots available for reduced fee options. Several programs are also available to help with financial assistance, such as the nonprofit I started for this purpose, The Fountain Fund. You can learn more about how to pay for therapy by watching How to Pay for Therapy.
Therapy is Only For Serious Problems
Therapy is, by all means, an essential part of treating severe mental health issues. However, therapy can be helpful for those with “less serious” problems, like improving relationships, gaining clarity, or navigating life transitions. Similar to medical healthcare, you don’t just wait to see a doctor (or shouldn’t) when it’s an emergency. People will still seek urgent care as symptoms arise and regular wellness appointments to assess for things they’d overlook. Mental health should be viewed similarly. Therapy can be valuable at various stages in anyone’s experience, and early care can help prevent unnecessary hardship. People often seek therapy for personal growth, managing stress, navigating life changes, resolving relationship conflicts, or gaining new skills.
I Can Solve my Own Problems
Most people feel uneasy about going to a stranger and telling them every intricate detail of their life. In other cases, some don’t want to be a burden to the people they know. A person is then left to believe that they can and should be the one to manage their own problems… ALONE. Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them. Talking to a therapist can provide you with a neutral perspective, and best of all, they are bound by confidentiality. The therapeutic relationship is designed to be a partnership in which the therapist chooses to share the load and, therefore, is not burdened.
The Benefits of Therapy
So, how does therapy help? There are several benefits to therapy. Here are a few:
Personal growth
You can gain new insights about yourself and update the narrative that was created in childhood. You will increase self-awareness and strengthen your ability to trust yourself in all circumstances. Personal growth will have an overall positive impact on self-confidence and self-esteem as you have a better understanding of who you are.
Stress Management
You can also learn new skills for navigating the challenges in life and reducing symptoms. Skills may include coping strategies, time management, or grounding techniques that can help you feel more equipped to face whatever comes your way.
Healthy Relationships
You can learn communication and conflict-resolution skills that will improve connections. Learning boundaries can help balance your relationships with others and yourself for greater harmony. Healthy relationships can build a secure attachment, which helps reduce symptoms of having an anxious attachment or avoidant attachment.
Final Thoughts
Therapy is an integral part of processing early experiences we did not have the skills or capability to understand at that developmental stage fully. Therapy can be a scary step that can have us believing the various myths that act as a barrier to exploring helpful options. Pushing through that fear has already started as you have read this blog. The next step is to set up a free consultation with a therapist to learn how therapy can help you specifically. You are that much closer to experiencing the benefits of therapy.
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