Therapy is for Everyone
Over the past decade in my work as a therapist, I have had the privilege to talk with people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Through my interactions with others, I have realized therapy is for everyone. There are many reasons people seek therapy (also known as counseling). Maybe it’s because they’re going through difficult life transitions, experiencing unbearable grief, struggling in their relationships, or stressed out about life.
Other reasons people seek therapy is because they are uncertain of how to navigate overwhelming feelings, traumatic experiences, conflict within their family, their child’s big feelings or behaviors, or something else entirely. Gone are the days when therapy is just for those struggling with serious mental illness. It is for the young and old and everyone in between. Seeking help doesn’t mean you’re “crazy”, it means you want to find a way forward to live a more fulfilling life. I’ve found that therapy is for everyone.
Therapy helps you find solutions
Therapy is a process where you work with a mental health professional to find solutions to the difficulties you find yourself facing. It can help with navigating life’s ups and downs. Finding a therapist you feel comfortable confiding in and trusting is important. If you’ve never talked with someone before, it’s important to realize that therapy is a process.
It’s not just one and done
It’s not a one session fixes all approach. Therapy is a journey of self discovery and self improvement. It’s where you sit down and figure out what in your life is not working and what you would like to see happen. For each person, the time it takes to reach their goals or desired outcome may vary depending on their situation. However, being able to have the outcome you want for yourself, relationship, child, family, or life is possible.
Therapy is really for everyone
In all my years of working with individuals who allow me into their inner thoughts and lives, I have been able to observe first hand the real benefits of being able to talk with someone. If you are wondering if therapy is for you, I want to share some of the benefits I’ve seen of therapy.
It provides a space for reflection
One benefit of therapy is it allows you to reflect on your life and become more aware of yourself. It can help you learn healthier coping skills to manage overwhelming emotions. How do you handle the thoughts swirling in your head that don’t seem to stop? Where do feelings of self-doubt and “not good enough” come from? What do you do with the anger, hurt, or resentment you experience?
It helps you learn new ways to handle your emotions
Therapy allows you to explore ways to better manage your thoughts and feelings in healthy ways. Feeling stressed out in today’s world is quickly becoming the norm. Finding ways to manage the stress before it manages you can be life changing. Therapy provides a space for you to learn more about yourself and strategies to be able to move through life in a way you feel good about.
It’s confidential
Another benefit of therapy is it provides a sounding board. A therapist is someone that you can say things out loud that you are afraid to say to yourself or other people. It is a judgement-free space to share your greatest fears, worries, or things you’ve held in for so long. It’s a place where you can feel safe to be vulnerable. And honestly, part of the magic of the therapy process is you can talk to a person who is there to help you, but is also separate from your day to day life. Since a therapist is on the outside looking in, they can help you find different perspectives or ways of looking at your experience that you may have not noticed before. Therapy provides a space where you can pause, reflect, and talk through the struggles you are facing.
It provides support and accountability
Having support in your life can make a big difference when it comes to reaching the goals you have for yourself, relationships, or life in general. When we want to feel better physically, many people seek out the expertise of a doctor. When struggling mentally or emotionally, it only makes sense that seeking help can also make you feel better faster than if you were to try to go it alone. In therapy, your first few visits are focused on helping you gain clarity of what you want to be different about your life.
Whether it’s to feel less anxious or have a better relationship with your partner, setting an intention about the change you want is the first step towards it. That’s why a benefit of therapy is being able to have support and accountability to create positive change. One of my favorite things about therapy is being able to look back with my clients and reflect on where they started when they arrived and where they are at when our time together comes to an end.
It can change your life
I can’t tell you the amount of times I have seen individuals feel happier and more satisfied with themselves and their life. When individuals are able to heal from traumatic experiences or feel less anxious in their life, it improves the quality of their life. As a person reaches the goals they set through the therapy process, they become more confident and feel better about themselves. When you feel better, it makes all the difference in how you show up for yourself, friends, family, and others. There are additional benefits of therapy like learning new skills or improving relationships, but the benefits listed above are just a few ways therapy can help.
None of us are immune to the challenges and struggles of life. We need help at times to find our way through painful experiences or challenging emotions. The therapy process may look different for each person based on what they are working through or on, but it can make a huge difference in how a person feels. If you have ever wondered if therapy is for you, just know therapy is for everyone.
Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting provides in-person counseling in Alexandria, Louisiana, and online counseling to individuals throughout the state of Louisiana. Our team of compassionate clinicians are here to help! Contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians Christy Pennison, Elizabeth Beebe, or EJ Babcock today!
