Why would you want therapy?

When I talk to friends and acquaintances about therapy, I often hear these comments. Do any of them sound familiar to you?

"I can talk to my friends about my problems."
"Why would I talk to a stranger about my problems ?!"
"I'm not crazy."
"Therapy is great for others, but not for me."
"The therapist is going to 'psychoanalyze' me." (Here, 'psychoanalyzing' means discovering something I'm ashamed of)
"The therapist is going to think I'm crazy."
"I am not in crisis."
"I don't need therapy ... It is my husband / wife / boss / coworker / blank fill who needs to change!"
"I don't pay someone to listen to my problems!"
"I can deal with my problems on my own."

With each of these statements, I want to give some thought, but before I do, I want to acknowledge that therapy is still very stigmatized in our culture of independence, autonomy, and self-direction. Especially among some African American and immigrant populations, the idea of ​​talking to a therapist is similar to standing in front of a naked and unarmed rifle squad. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but hooray for the creative license.

"I can talk to my friends about my problems."

Why can you? And if you are lucky, your friends will be very tolerant, empathetic and insightful. But for many people, talking to friends can be a frustrating experience. Some friends can relate everything back to themselves; some may tell you to get over it; some may withdraw because they do not want or do not know how to address their problem. At least, most friends will expect some reciprocity when they have a problem. A therapist is someone trained and trained to listen, and is a person who has agreed to focus together on your concerns.

"Why would I talk to a stranger about my problems ?!"

Yes, I listen to this a lot. This often comes from people from cultures where problems are dealt with exclusively in the family or not at all. From a historical and social perspective, telling a stranger that your business is to open up to attack or vulnerability, so it makes sense that you don't want to talk to someone you don't know. For that reason, there are strict confidentiality laws that protect customers. For example, if I get a phone call from someone asking about a customer of mine, I can't admit that I know who that person is, let alone talk about their personal information. But if you're wondering what the benefits are of talking to someone you don't initially know, check out the previous section on friends.

"I'm not crazy."

Of course not. This idea that only the seriously mentally ill receive therapy is a stereotype founded in the past. In the 19th century, psychiatric hospitals (called lunatic asylums!) Consisted of patients with severe mental illness who were often involuntarily hospitalized and poorly cared for. The many abuses that took place in these institutions were finally exposed in the 1940s. Therapy is not the same as institutionalization, although psychiatric hospitals include psychotherapy in their treatment plans. Everyone has their problems, patterns and concerns and if they become a problem that affects their quality of life, then therapy is a good option. On the other hand, having a serious mental illness is just that: having an illness. Equating illness with madness is outdated and, for lack of a better word, you are misinformed visit here http://tilaflor.com/blog/