My experience with therapy has been wild right from the start, a 7 year journey that put me on a path of constant development.
I’ve been exposed to the entire spectrum- from therapists who transformed my life (and saved it), to therapists who tried to push their own agendas (religious or commercial).
I am a firm believer in therapy for everyone.
There’s probably an alternate universe where I rule the world and definitely made therapy free and compulsory for everyone (along with white chocolate fountains everywhere and free books).
Why am I a huge advocate for therapy?
- Therapy is for everyone
Children, college students, homemakers, corporate world success stories, and even therapists themselves can all benefit from therapy. There is no limit to it.
You can be a man and want/need therapy
You’re not ‘too manly’ for therapy
You can be extremely successful and want/need therapy
You’re not ‘too successful’ for therapy
You’re not ‘too old’ for therapy
You’re not ‘too perfect’ for therapy
You’re not ‘too happy’ for therapy
You’re not ‘not sad enough’ for therapy
On the other hand, you’re also not ‘too depressed’ for therapy.
Thinking that it won’t work or that nothing will change is not the same as actually knowing it. Give it a shot. What do you have left to lose? It’s just going to get more miserable either way.
Read more about What depression feels like
(ps- in an ideal world without economic or social disparities, it would be accessible to all but that’s a topic for another post) - Therapy is for everything
To talk, to listen, to question, to be guided.
It’s there for grief, sadness, anger, joy, success.
It’s a conversation, a dialogue. Or even a monologue. Point is, it can be anything you want it to be, anything that would be healthy for you.
I think I spend the initial part of my sessions just rambling and my therapist is patient enough to let me word vomit until I reach my actual point. Then we have a proper conversation where we sort stuff out. It works for us and that’s what matters! - Therapy is the extra help for when you’re struggling to organize your thoughts
Sometimes there’s too much going on in your brain or you feel lost and confused.
Therapists can help sort that out.
A guiding or helping hand makes a huge difference. It helps you breathe and reorient yourself, giving you better control over your actions. - A stranger can be your biggest source of comfort when you don’t have anyone to talk to
Maybe you’re having a hard time being socially active, or you don’t have people you trust.
I truly believe you need to get your dose of comfort where you can. And if that’s a therapist, that’s great! - A stranger can also be your biggest source of comfort when you don’t want to talk to your loved ones
It can be harder to talk to them about the ugly parts in your life because you don’t want them to worry or are afraid of their judgement or abandonment. - Therapy is an outsider’s perspective- an educated and trained outsider who has your best interest at heart
This won’t be a person who will coddle you or give you half truths, but a person who will be comforting and respectful while also urging you to become a better version of yourself.
Your therapist won’t take sides.
They won’t have conflicts, they won’t be stuck between you and your parents like other relatives would, or you and your boss like your colleagues would.
They are there FOR YOU.
They advocate FOR YOU.
No matter whether the advice turns out to be something you love or hate.
They would give you a setting to be brutally honest, while giving you the same in return. - Your life won’t be perfect but it will get better
I don’t think a magical fix exists. Life wouldn’t be life without the struggles, without all the hardships to get to the good shit and then more hardships and more good shit.
But there is a chance of your life getting better. And in your low moments it’s really important to hold onto that CHANCE.
Even that small spark can sometimes be enough to help you push forward. - There’s more to therapy than what movies portray
Lying down on a couch crying throughout the session while a person with glasses and a notepad questions you.
Couches do exist, but so do chairs. Or communication through a video call.
And you won’t just cry. Sometimes you might laugh a lot or whine a lot.
And all of it is okay! It’s about what you truly feel!
Don’t get hung up on the settings but on actually finding the perfect way for you to receive the maximum benefits. - Don’t think of it as only ‘talk’ therapy
I’ve experienced art, music, and even dog therapy! There’s a whole world of therapy out there!
All you need to do is talk to a professional about what you need and how that aligns with what they recommend.
(The dog therapy was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever experienced in my life!) - You have a reminder notification in human form
This is a person who is constantly advocating for you.
That includes drilling some important life improving pointers into your head when you don’t have the energy or mental capacity to recall them.
My therapist constantly reminds me of things I should probably logically know but can’t accept. Like-
‘I can’t predict the future and I don’t get to make assumptions and allot the worst possible outcomes to every situation‘
She reminds me that there is definitely a possibility of things getting better, of us actively making things better.
And that reminder is what keeps me pushing ahead.
I hope this gave you a better idea of exactly why I keep recommending therapy to everyone around me.
It’s going to improve your life, whether you do it for a month or a lifetime. Just do what you feel is best for you (when you’re in a good state of mind and not self destructive!!).
Talk to someone, get advice from your peers, find good recommendations, and just go for it.
If you don’t find a therapist you’re comfortable with, that’s okay. Take a breath and move on to the next one. You are not obligated to keep going to the same one. Don’t feel discouraged and don’t give up.
Nothing worth having comes easy!
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