In past generations, people were often fearful that therapy was only for “crazy” people who were on the brink of hospitalization or if they started they would need to be in counseling for decades, laying on couches with little results. Times have changed. We have well-documented evidence that holding onto stress, shame, anxiety and trauma is damaging to our bodies, shortens life spans and leads to more chronic health problems. Poverty, prejudice and all the ism's in our world negatively impact mental and physical health. We have decades of evidenced-based research that prove the benefits of therapy. Maybe you just want a confidential space to talk, feel supported, understand yourself better. Maybe you want to increase your motivation or get over a heartbreak...Whatever the reason, therapy is a great place to start! Read below for 6 reasons therapy is for everyone!
Therapy is non-discriminatory- You might think that you don’t need therapy or you aren’t “bad enough” to go. You think you are too old, young, wealthy, poor, etc. to benefit from therapy. To the contrary, therapy is for everyone! Having a place to safely share your life and goals is reason enough to start and see how it can benefit your life. You can have wonderful things going for you and just need a place to share and get an objective, clinical perspective to continue to grow in ways you never imagined.
Even if you can't change the people in your life, you can change- As much as we might wish others will change, we can’t change anyone but ourselves. Therapy is all about gaining the tools to change our boundaries, reactivity, coping skills and learning to engage in a healthier way toward ourselves and others. Therapy is a great place to learn to reframe our perspective to become happier, healthier and more hopeful people.
Finding the right fit is important- Similar to dating it’s important to find the right fit for you. Just like different types of modalities, therapists are all different types of people. You can ask if a potential therapist offers a free 15 minute consultation or can answer some questions via email to help understand their approach and specialties before scheduling an appointment.
Science behind therapy has proven that we are never done learning and healing- How exciting is that? Neuroscience has proven that we can change and grow no matter our age. Therapy can heal our brains and experiences, regardless of age. You are never too old to begin therapy and the best time to start is now.
Sharing your story can be healing- Humans have been sharing stories for centuries. Children love to hear, read and tell stories. Sometimes, shame can create secrets and silence where we don’t express our full self due to fear of judgment. Good news, shame can’t survive empathy. Sharing your story with a non-judgmental, empathetic professional can have healing benefits and help you re-claim your narrative.
We repeat what we don’t repair- As human beings we are attracted to what’s familiar even if what’s familiar is unhealthy. Many find that their logic and emotions are in two different places. They find that they continually gravitate toward unhealthy people, systems and habits and don't understand why. If you are wanting to repair and make changes in your life, counseling is a great place to uncover those patterns, change the behavior and start moving closer to your desired goals and vision for life.
Lowther Counseling Services, www.LowtherCS.com, 2023
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