Misconceptions About Therapy (Part 2)
Myth #2: Counseling is only for people with serious mental illnesses
Another big misconception that many people believe is that counseling is only for people living with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Not the case. I often tell people to think more of mental health care rather than mental illness when it comes to therapy. One of the biggest challenges for people experiencing mental illness is the stigma and discrimination that surrounds it. The truth is, due to the stigma around mental health, many people feel ashamed to admit that they do in fact see a counselor/therapist; which is a little bit comical to me because when our stomachs hurt, when we break our arms, or if we get sick, we go to the doctor. With the brain as the most important organ in the body, it should be no different. When we are feeling unstable or “not ourselves”, we must do something in order to feel more centered or grounded. Counseling is a profession that solely focuses on making the human experience constructive, meaningful, and enjoyable, both on a preventive and a remedial level. An essential aspect of well-being is your ability to look within, perceive the mind, and reflect on your experiences. Learning these skills offers you the opportunity to better balance your emotions and cope with the small and large stresses of life.
For individuals who aren’t living with a mental illness, there are plenty of other issues that many people experience over a lifetime such as grief, loss, divorce, relocating, changing jobs, etc. for which you might need someone to help you feel like you are not alone and to maybe tell you what your options are so that you aren’t spiraling out of control too much. Or maybe you just feel stuck and unsatisfied with your current situation and you want to live with more intention. Therapy is different for everyone and depending on your circumstances you might want therapy to help with a specific issue or it to be something that you do continually to just navigate life, check in, and keep on top of your mental health.
Myth #3: I’ll have to stay in therapy forever
The length of time or the number of sessions needed with a counselor will greatly vary depending on many factors, such as:
How long you’ve been dealing with the issue
The severity of the problem
The time you need to make any necessary changes (i.e. Habits, coping mechanisms, etc.)
I have some clients that come in and know exactly what they want to work on so, we work together with a solution-focused approach for about a month, they learn some new tools and exercises to approach the issue that may reduce the severity of it, then they begin to feel better and we’re done. Of course, something else might come up or they begin to feel overwhelmed again in which they could get back into therapy, but for the most part, they just wanted to work through some hardship in their life and stop therapy. Then, I have people who like the idea of coming in once a week to talk about what going on in their life because it helps them understand what’s going on and live with intention instead of going on autopilot. So many people just put one foot in front of the other without thinking about where they are going or what they want and a therapist can help with that; which can be a very valuable process. Many times, people come into counseling wondering what is wrong with them. In fact, it’s never about what is wrong with you, it’s about what’s happened to you. Once that is unpacked, a therapist can help you move forward with whatever internal pain you may be going through. Also, we as counselors, want what is best for our clients and love to see you succeed and grow! We want you to eventually be able to have the tools and skills you need in order to navigate issues on your own. Together, you and your therapist will determine when to discontinue therapy. In any case, the goal of therapy is to help you get better, not attend a certain number of sessions.