5 Misconceptions About Going To Therapy

Posted on Jun 7, 2021 | 0 comments

More people than ever, worldwide, are currently seeking therapy. Depression, anxiety, anger issues are all on the rise given this pandemic on top of already stressful lives. Yet still there are so many misconceptions about going to therapy that are holding some back from seeking the help they need.

Making the choice to reach out for help is the best decision many of us have ever made. So if you are considering therapy, if you are feeling depressed, sad, angry, anxious all the time, but are not sure if therapy is for you, let me clear up some common misconceptions about going to therapy.

What is Therapy?

Therapy can come in many forms but it is the process of working through your feelings and traumas with the purpose of healing. The main forms of outpatient therapy are:

Seeing a psychologist
Seeing a psychiatrist
Hiring a life coach
Seeing your religious mentor
Talking to your guidance counselor regularly at school (age appropriate)
Travel/Retreat therapy

All can be helpful on their own or together, each focuses on a different method for each level of treatment. When it comes time to take that leap and reach out, there are some common misconceptions that may hold you back. Let’s go over those now.

5 Misconceptions About Going To Therapy

People who seek therapy/help are weak. Baloney!!!!!! People who are looking for help are looking to grow and better themselves. They are actually the really strong ones!! It is the weak who sit around being angry and doing nothing about it. Depression is a different story, the depressed people who actually do reach out are some of the strongest, smartest people I know. If you know things are not right with you, doesn’t it sound weak to do nothing about it, yet super strong to choose to learn to make things right? ????
“I don’t need therapy, I have friends and family”. Yes, a support system is super important. But if you are unhappy and not reaching the success you want to in life, maybe you need some outside support? An unbiased person trained in mental health to be a sounding board is invaluable. In therapy, everything is confidential and you don’t need to edit it. In fact the more honest you are, the more success you can achieve. Most importantly, it is a safe space with no judgement. A safe space to grow and explore in. Things that are sometimes challenging to do with your friends and family, you can do in therapy.
A therapist just sits behind a desk taking notes while you lie on a couch. Wrong! A good therapist will interact with you, ask you the right probing questions and create a safe space for you to heal without judgement in. And when you are not there, they take the time to think about your mental health and how they can best serve you, making a plan to get you on your path to success.
A therapist has all the solutions and will just tell you what to do. Sorry, but no again! You are the only one with all of your solutions tucked away deep within. A therapist will help guide you to realize how resourceful you are and help you pinpoint ways to create change in your life. They can also identify any personality traits that are not serving you and help you with them.
Everything can be solved in one or two sessions. Nope. Most likely not gonna happen. It took years and years to get you to where you are now. Healing is a spiral filled with good days and bad days that can take weeks, months or years.

The trick is to find a good therapist you can connect with, be kind to yourself in the process and be open to how good life can be once you start healing. I hope this helps clear up some of your misconceptions about going to therapy.

Ready to take that step with a trauma informed conscious life coach? Contact me here, I would love to walk on your journey with you.

Malibu Mama Loves Xx