Over the last two years, therapy has become a hot commodity. Due to the societal and environmental circumstances that we have lived in over the past two years, there has been an uptick in how much mental health services are needed to prevent, cope and manage our societal and personal issues and for people to be able to function optimally. While I am happy that the need for mental health services is being recognized and a lot of people have begun and/or in therapy, there is still a great amount of stigmas around mental health and attending therapy. One of the major stigmas around attending therapy is that people who attend therapy are 'crazy' and have serious mental health issues. As a mental health therapist, I feel it is a part of my job to destigmatize these stigmas. Therapy can be beneficial for anyone no matter if you have a mental health diagnosis or not and you don't have be "crazy" to attend therapy. Check out the 4 reasons below I feel attending therapy can be beneficial without having a mental health diagnosis.
To maintain overall wellness.
Maintaining overall wellness is more than just eating well, getting adequate sleep, and having a consistent exercise routine. When we are hurt physically, we go to a doctor that specializes in our physical ailment, get assessed, and follow a treatment plan for recovery and healing. Emotional and psychological wellness is also inclusive of overall wellness. Imagine being emotionally and psychologically ill. When we are not well emotionally and psychologically, it can impact our ability to function professionally, socially, cognitively, and emotionally. So, why not see a licensed professional in addition to your other care professionals to help you maintain overall wellness.
Cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness.
We literally CANNOT see ourselves. During my work as a therapist, one of the things I often hear my clients report is that they would like to gain more self-awareness. Therapy allows you to be able to develop this sense of self-awareness because during your therapy session, you spend the 50 or so minutes focused on YOU! In therapy, you can focus on your thoughts, feelings/emotions and behaviors and gain a greater sense of yourself, others and the world around you and how you manage and maneuver. Having a sense of self-awareness, is beneficial for things such as personal and professional identity, relationships, and being able to set boundaries.
Acknowledge and get in tune with your feelings.
We live in a culture where shall I say it?....Everyone is "in their feelings" about one thing or the other. Feelings are important as they guide how we react and behave. Sometimes, feelings can be minimized and disregarded and/or even become overbearing. Attending therapy can allow you to identify and acknowledge your feelings, talk through how to manage and deal with your feelings and can also help with emotionally regulating and your therapist can help with encouragement and validation of your feelings.
Learn more tools to manage your life.
The culture around us is consistently changing. Life can be full of expectations, demands, pressures, and periods of "hustle and bustle." With these changes, it can be hard to keep up and manage. Attending therapy can allow you to take the time to prioritize yourself and your needs and learn new tools or update the tools you have to be able to manage your life with support.