Have you thought about why people go to therapy? Have you ever thought, “Is therapy really helpful?” Can therapy really help me?”
Do you know of any family or friends who see a therapist? There is a larger discussion around mental health today then there has been in the past. One important piece of this multifaceted conversation is the idea of therapy. Different people decide to engage in therapy for different reasons; however, the benefits of therapy are universal.
For more information about what therapy is, check out our article "Wait a Minute...What is Psychotherapy?"
Benefits of Therapy
Seeing Your Thoughts and Emotions in a New Way
Therapy provides an opportunity to freely share your thoughts, emotions, and your unique perspectives in a safe space. By sharing our stories, we are able to express the thoughts and emotions that we often keep to ourselves. In expressing these internal ideas, we open up a dialogue with our therapist that acts as a platform for understanding our internal workings in a new light. Our existing thoughts and emotions are challenged, leading to growth and introspection. In some cases, this results in discovering new emotions, thoughts, and insights that we could not previously identify. As a whole, therapy creates a space that allows for nonjudgmental expression, leading us to work through existing perspectives while creating new insights.
Developing Healthy, Life-Long Coping Skills
One of the most important benefits of therapy is the development of healthy coping skills. By better understanding our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, we also come to understand which coping strategies are maladaptive or harmful. We are introduced to more adaptive, healthy coping skills. The formation of healthy coping skills is in collaboration with a therapist in order to ensure that the coping skill being used is appropriate and beneficial. But these skills are not solely for a one-time use. The implementation of coping skills ensures that you are better equipped to deal with your current concerns and also those that may arise in the future. Coping skills help to enhance your life, detangle confusing times and events, and prepare you for unexpected circumstances.
Increased Self-Awareness
By being able to discuss different components of ourselves in therapy, we begin to acknowledge all of the aspects that come together to form our unique self. By recognizing our wants, needs, triggers, and desires, we display an increased sense of self-awareness that we may not have had before. This creates a means by which we are in tune with our innermost self and can provide the required nourishment to ensure that we are always well balanced.
Having Someone to Help you Carry and Navigate Your Current Situation with No Hidden Agenda
Being able to sit down with a mental health professional and discuss our stressors shows us that we are not alone. Another benefit of therapy is then that we do not need to shoulder and carry our burdens by ourselves; therapy enables the ability to get assistance in navigating your concerns. You might be thinking, “Isn’t that what family and friends do?” While our friends and family can support us, they cannot be objective nor are they trained in providing proper treatment. It is also possible that they have their own hidden motives when providing you with advice. Because therapists are not involved in your personal life, their assistance is not guided by personal motives and benefits. Rather, the collaboration provided by therapists is unbiased, genuine, and driven by professionalism and passion to help you prosper.
Indirectly Helping Areas of Your Life That You Didn’t Know Needed Help
Our mental health is connected to various components of our lives. By engaging in therapy, we are improving our mental health, and in turn, indirectly improving areas of our lives that we may not have known are associated with the state of our mental health. For example, going to therapy and practicing mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve physical health components such as, sleep, coping with chronic pain, stress reduction, etc. In addition, going to therapy and actively working on your mental health also improves interpersonal relationships. Learning coping skills and assertiveness in therapy helps one to increase their self-esteem, improve communication skills, and navigate difficult interpersonal relationships.
Speaking Out Loud
While some people voice their perspectives, others tend to bottle up their thoughts and emotions. This act of keeping to ourselves can have a negative impact on our mental well-being. Internalizing our mental events can result in significant stress or feelings of being overwhelmed, among other consequences. The seemingly simple action of voicing our thoughts and emotions can be liberating. While it can be difficult to share our thoughts and feelings, speaking to a therapist creates a means to expression in a confidential environment. By speaking out loud we are better able to process our thoughts and feelings and are more inclined to label emotions that we may not have not previously been able to identify. Ultimately, speaking out loud gives us the ability to externalize and discharge the distress and burdens that we have been carrying in silence.
Before You Go…
The therapeutic world is constantly evolving. While in the past the focus was solely on physical health, today’s society has begun to highlight the importance of psychological services in improving all life domains.
Therapy is a multifaceted event that each person experiences differently. As you go through therapy, you will start to notice other benefits that were not mentioned in this article. It’s important to recognize that what is a benefit for you, may not be identified as a benefit for another.
In the same way it’s important to be in tune with what it is that you need in therapy versus what you feel is not helpful to you. If you decide to engage in therapy, please ensure that you find a therapist that best suits your wants, needs, and therapeutic goals. It's important to notice that you are your own best advocate so if a therapist isn't meeting your goals, try your best to speak up!
“Psychotherapy can be one of the greatest and most rewarding adventures, it can bring with it the deepest feelings of personal worth, of purpose and richness in living.” - Eda Leshan
Written By: Natalie DeRose, M. Psy., B.A. (Hons)
Edited/Reviewed by: Dr. Stacy Lekkos, C. Psych
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