What is Therapy?
Therapy is also called psychotherapy or counselling. It is the process by which an individual meets with a trained therapist in order to be able to solve and overcome conflictual behaviours, emotions, relationship challenges, or physical manifestations of mental health issues. Therapy can seem like an enormous step, especially due to the cultural and social connotations attached to it and the rampant stigmatization of therapy.
However, therapy is essential, and some would argue that all individuals need it to successfully manoeuvre through daily life in the world today. Just like a person needs first aid for physical wounds, therapy is vital in order to tend to the mental health of individuals.
Therapy can seem like a humongous and scary step, but it does not have to be. It is best to view therapy as getting the help you need. Therapy can help you resolve self-destructive habits, untangle sad or confusing feelings, work on relationship problems and achieve overall clarity about aspects of life that seem complicated and a lot to handle.
There is no right or wrong way when it comes to therapy. It is an extremely personal experience and ought to be tailored according to the needs and challenges of each and every individual pursuing it. Therapy can help you set achievable goals and chalk out a personalized plan of action.
There is more than one form of therapy, although the goals of all remain the same – which is to help you understand and handle your own emotions and reactions to circumstances. It is a fruitful step in trying to understand who you are, what you feel, and why you might be feeling that way – like a massage for your brain! Therapy can be for individuals, for couples, for families or for groups. What conversations take place between you and your therapist are meant to be absolutely confidential. Therapy is a safe space for you to talk about what you want, and there might be other things that you figure out during therapy you needed to talk about.
Who is it for?
It is a common misnomer that therapy is only for people with depression, anxiety, disorders, or other mental health challenges. However, in truth, therapy is for anyone who finds the need for it. Who does not want to have a professional help us unweave our thoughts and better understand what goes on in our minds and why?
Therapy is typically for people going through major changes in life, finding it difficult to cope with certain situations in life, feeling sad or confused. Above all, therapy is for anyone feeling overwhelmed with life, or wanting to talk to a therapist.