4 Reasons Why Therapy Is Therapeutic
“We work with nutrition & exercise to increase our energy, but we ignore the richest source of energy we possess—our emotions.”
I love therapy and I am the biggest proponent of therapy for EVERYONE. I believe therapy is necessary in acute circumstances like grieving a loss, feeling suicidal, or after a traumatic experience like a car accident, terminal diagnosis, or any type of assault. I also believe that therapy is a must for maintaining a healthy and balanced life when not in crisis mode.
What exactly about the process makes therapy so effective?
Opportunity to vent. Yes, I’m talking about that word-vomit. Being able to sit with someone and say anything and everything that is bothering you is a huge factor in finding relief from your distress. Talking to friends and family is important and I encourage it, but let’s be real, you can’t talk to your closest support people about everything. What if they get offended or judge you? What if they worry or get upset? Talking with a therapist provides a non-judgmental space to say whatever you need to say without a reaction that may burden you even more.
Support. There is nothing harder than suffering in silence and feeling alone. Therapists utilize the art of validation to help you feel supported. To feel heard, understood, and to feel like you are not alone in your troubles is therapeutic in a variety of ways; first, feelings of depression and anxiety often lead to isolation. Speaking with a therapist gives you a teammate, an advocate, who will sit with you and tell you your feelings are normal and justified. Trust me, therapists hear a lot of things and can help you see that you are not alone in what you are experiencing. You are not “crazy” and you will be able to over-come. Like Dr. Irvin Yalom states [1], one of the biggest benefits to “personal therapy is to experience for oneself the great value of positive support.”
Ways to cope. Therapy isn’t just talking about your feelings. Depending on treatment style, a therapist will often help you build up your coping skills so that you can tolerate anxiety and depression in a more effective way. There are many evidence-based practices that therapists incorporate into their work to ensure that the treatment is backed by science and results. Therapy equips you with tools you can use throughout life.
Insight. Therapy builds awareness of how you think and how the world around you operates. Therapy sessions offer insight into relationship patterns, communication styles, and problem solving techniques. Understanding yourself and what you’ve experienced can help you become a more effective communicator, problem solver, and relationship builder. Therapy can also help you figure out your own strengths and weaknesses so as to help you become the best version of yourself!
There are many more benefits of therapy which is why I’ve been a client for almost 15 years now. In the famous words of Pringle, “once you pop, you just can’t stop.”
If you want to find out for yourself, let’s set up a free 15-minute phone consultation!
~Maya
Reference:
[1] Yalom, I. D. (2010). The gift of therapy. London: Piatkus.