Does everyone need therapy? Should we make therapy a rite of passage? Or is therapy the last resort that we should turn to when all else fails?

To answer the big question here, first I’ll say this: Most people don’t need to go to therapy. They may benefit from it, but they don’t actually need to dedicate the time, energy, and money which effective therapy requires. So, when a challenge arises in your life, be it a fractured relationship, overwhelming emotions, or something else, you might be able to fix it with the resources you already have. Before you go to therapy, just take some time with a friend to talk through what’s bothering you, or do something you enjoy to calm your body and mind. If it works, then you’ve accomplished the goal of therapy without the therapy itself. For all of us, there will be countless challenges in our lives that we overcome without professional support.

But then we come to the bigger stuff, the really tough challenges that doesn’t seem to be so easy to overcome. Maybe you do talk to a friend about this but you don’t feel better, or you’re trying to form habits to support your mental health but they aren’t working. Then, you may consider seeking the help of a therapist.

In this situation, I believe that everyone who agrees with this statement should go to therapy: “My life is hard enough that something needs to change; I am willing to take a risk to make that happen, but I don’t know how to make that happen.”

Maybe you and your spouse are fighting so much that you desperately want to get back to the good times you used to have, but you’re not sure if that’s even possible.

Maybe you feel anxious so often that you feel like you’ll never reach your full potential, because you feel smothered by anxiety and you don’t understand why.

Whatever you’ve been through and whatever you’re going through, it takes bravery to ask for help. And no matter how strong we are, we all need some help to have the life we want. There is no shame to going to therapy, and in reality, going to therapy requires strength and determination.

Lastly, let me make two statements: Therapy is a risk and pain can bring forth positive change.

First, therapy is a risk. Anytime you invest your time and money in something, you’re taking a risk. Also, if you want to improve your life through therapy, you will need to be vulnerable. None of this easy, and that is why I have so much respect for the clients I see who draw on their bravery to get up and continue working with me.

Second, pain can bring forth positive change. So, while I would never wish pain on anyone, change can still come from hard places. And if your current pain finally motivates you to take a leap of faith and change your life, then I’m excited for what your future holds. It may be in therapy or it may not, but whatever it is, take that risk because you are worth it and life is too short to live in fear. That, above all else, is the fear I challenge all of my clients to overcome. When they do so, I’m overjoyed that they found the strength to sit and chat with me for a bit.

Thank you for reading my practice’s blog, my library of all the random thoughts that would make a terrible book but make
a halfway-decent blog. To request a session or contact me, head to my Scheduling page to get in touch with me today!