5 Surprising & Positive Facts About Therapy That You Need to Know

If you’ve never gone to therapy before, it might sound like a big and scary step.

Should you actually pay someone to help you out right now? Do you even need help? 

You might never know unless you try!

Thus, if you’re thinking about therapy, take the plunge. Try it out. See if it works for you or not. While it might seem like a waste of money if things don’t pan out, you’ll actually be one step closer to figuring out what works for you and improving your mental state. 

In other words, you basically have nothing to lose. And if you’re still feeling hesitant, we’ve got five facts about therapy that might shock you.

So, let’s take a look. What should you know before you book that appointment?

5 Surprising Facts About Therapy

1. You Don’t Need to Have a Mental Health Condition.

Many individuals believe that you need to have a diagnosed mental health disorder to justify therapy.

Yet, countless individuals who go to therapy don’t have a mental health condition.

• Someone might go to therapy to untangle family conflicts.
• Someone else might go to therapy to help them establish boundaries or deal with a specific situation in their life. 

Talking with a therapist is basically consulting with a psychology expert. They’ve studied human behavior and interactions. In other words, they know more than you or I ever could.

Thus, we could probably all learn something from a therapist that could help us navigate this bumpy road called life that much better.

William Shakespeare wrote,

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

This is largely true. And then, the way we think about things impacts our feelings and our actions. 

However, a therapist can help you learn to think about situations or problems differently. And this offers a whole other level of freedom. 

Related Article: 9 Things That Aren’t Helping Your Mental Health

2. Not All Therapists Are the “Right” Fit.

Doing your research beforehand can help you decide on the best therapist for you.

Yet, this still might mean that it could take a few therapists before you find one that works for you and your life. 

Some tell-tale signs that a therapist isn’t the right fit for you include:

• You feel uncomfortable.
• They don’t have solid boundaries.
• You feel ashamed.
• You don’t feel understood or heard.
• You feel judged.
• They fail to respect your goals for therapy.

Sometimes, it isn’t meant to be. Yet, usually, there is a therapist out there that is better suited to you and your needs. It’s all a matter of finding them. Sometimes, asking friends or looking up therapeutic specialties that make sense for your situation can help in this regard.

3. Therapy Isn’t Forever.

Think of therapy as more of a visit to your local medical clinic.

You turn to them when you need them. If you don’t have any need for regular sessions, there is absolutely no pressure to continue attending or paying for visits you don’t need.

Yet, when your mental health is suffering, therapy offers you an easy go-to, much like a walk-in doctor’s office. 

Or perhaps you will only ever need therapy for a particular issue or time during your life. This is okay too. It’s also okay to want to continue attending therapy sessions. There is no right or wrong here. It’s all about what works best for you and your mental health.

4. You Don’t Have to Talk About Anything You Don’t Want to.

This is another big misconception about therapy.

It should never feel like pressure. In fact, if there is any external stress involved, it’s likely the therapist you’re speaking to isn’t right for you. 

Generally, therapy is often guided by you and your goals or needs. You will never have to discuss anything you don’t want to or anything that you find uncomfortable. 

After all, the goal of therapy is to find ways where you can feel comfortable.

It’s about finding solutions, techniques, or tactics to help you cope. If a topic is ever brought up that you don’t feel comfortable discussing, simply say so. It’s okay to do this. Therapy is about you. And maybe, when the time is right, you will feel comfortable discussing those topics.

Related Article: 5 Easy, Healthy Habits You Can Start Right Now

5. Not All Therapy is the Same.

The truth is there are countless types of therapy out there. Some common types include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Humanistic Therapy
• Exposure Therapy
• Online Therapy
• Group Therapy
• And many more!

This means that there are a variety of options available to you. If one method doesn’t work, there is likely another method that does. 

Again, this comes back to doing some research. Determine your goals for therapy, then look up what types of therapy correspond with your goals.

As previously mentioned, it might also take a few tries until you find one that works. At the same time, you might also get lucky and land on a good therapist and a good type of therapy with the first try.

There’s Never Shame in Talking to Someone

If anything, taking that step and talking to a therapist can feel empowering.

It puts you back in the driver’s seat, offering you new insights into your life and new methods to navigate through it all. 

After all, we can’t possibly know everything. And sometimes, Google doesn’t have the answers we need.

Seeking out expert help to improve your mental state can even flood into all aspects of your life, enhancing your relationships and more.

So, why not give therapy a try? Maybe it’s exactly the kind of help you need. That's why we've partnered with Betterhelp to provide you with access to over 20,000 professionals who are ready to listen, just tap the link below to take the Betterhelp quiz and get paired with a therapist now.

Read Next: 15 Things Mentally Strong People Do When The Going Gets Tough

Editor's note: This article was originally published Sep 25, 2021 and has been updated to improve reader experience. 

Photo by Alex Green