““I’m fine. Well, I’m not fine - I’m here.”
”Is there something wrong with that?”
”Absolutely.””
Are you on the fence about going to therapy? You sense it can be helpful but are still trying to find reasons why you should work with a mental health professional. If you’ve never worked with a therapist, it can feel intimidating to seek help from someone you don’t know or go through a process you don’t know what to expect. Perhaps you’ve had a not-so-great experience in the past and might feel hesitant to reach out to a therapist again. Sometimes, we might be going through ups and downs in life, but we might not necessarily consider them “that big of a deal” or “we have too much going on” to seek support from a counselor. I get it. All these and other scenarios can fill us with doubt about the therapy process, especially if you are wondering what you can work on in your sessions with your therapist.
Having more information about why people go to therapy and what things you and a therapist might address in sessions can help you take the leap to make your therapy appointment.
Here are 6 reasons why people might go to therapy:
1- To learn about themselves or understand themselves better
Are you pursuing more knowledge about yourself, your passions, and what lights you up? In this day and age, there can be different sources and voices telling us who we are. This might include social media, the people we hang out with, our relatives, T.V. media, etc. Sometimes their influence can affect us through their constant messaging of who we “should” be. People go to therapy to explore, talk about and learn about their identity, what they like and what they really want.
2- To work on building their self-esteem and gaining confidence
Very much related to the reason above, people go to therapy to increase their self-esteem. When we have clarity of who we are, it is less challenging to gain confidence, know our worth, and make decisions that are attuned to who we are and where we want to be.
3- To learn about effective communication
Learning new strategies for healthier communication is another reason people go to therapy. This can be done individually, or it could be done with a partner. You don’t have to be in a romantic relationship to learn how to communicate more effectively and assertively with others (relatives, friends, coworkers, managers, etc.).
4- To learn about boundaries and how to set them
Boundaries are hard to set, especially if we tend to be people pleasers. “No” is a complete sentence, and those around you must respect your limits. Of course, we know that implementing this is easier said than done. A therapist can help you learn about boundaries, help you develop your own, and support you in establishing and following through with them by providing helpful tools.
5- To process experiences or life events
Even when we are supported by people we trust, we might not feel comfortable sharing about things that have happened to us. Furthermore, those that we might trust to share our experiences with might not be equipped to help us in processing them, even if they are supportive and well-intentioned. Working with a therapist can allow you to share your experiences, feelings, and thoughts while providing an outside perspective and therapeutic tools to support you.
6- To talk about their grief
The topics of grief and loss can be taboo. Some people might avoid talking to or hearing someone talk about it, sometimes because of their discomfort and often because of not knowing how to navigate the conversations and support someone who is grieving. Because of this, we might not feel ok with grieving authentically. We might worry about how others might perceive us or feel around us. A therapist might offer you space to express your grief openly, including the common emotions related to grief, like anger, guilt, fear, and sadness. A therapist might also provide you with information and much-needed validation because it is normal and ok to grieve.
Have any of these reasons resonated with you yet?
The truth is that sometimes you don’t need a “big” reason to start therapy. Although people might prefer to work with a therapist when dealing with uncomfortable emotions or going through a crisis, it’s okay to seek support from a mental health professional to continue to experience optimal well-being. We all have different reasons to seek support, and all of them are valid. No experience is small or less important. In fact, consistently working with a counselor is a preventive strategy; we can be prepared mentally with different coping mechanisms and support systems to face life’s hardships. Hard things will happen in life, and an established and trusted support system can help you move through the challenges with more tools.
If some of these reasons resonate with you or you are ready to work with a therapist, contact us today.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A CLIENT OR CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW IF YOU ARE READY TO SCHEDULE ONLINE NOW! YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AT HELLO@TRANSCENDENCECOUNSELINGFL.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICE AT 772-888-0212.