Misconceptions about therapy can get in the way of individuals getting the mental health support they need. If you don’t know what therapy actually is, and primarily hear about it in the form of stereotypes from media or misinformed friends, you may not believe that therapy has much to offer you. By learning the truth behind the misconceptions, you can reduce stigma and gain a better understanding of what treatment options are available to you.
Let’s talk about some of the most common misconceptions about therapy, and the truth behind them.
#1 - It’s Weak to Seek Therapy
Few would say that you’re weak by going to the doctor for a broken bone or a physical ailment. But often when it comes to the more invisible mental ailments, people are more dismissive. The problem is that mental illness is in your head — and therefore seen as less valid. We hear statements like “suck it up,” “stop making a big deal about this,” or other dismissive implications that you should simply get over mental or emotional pain.
But mental illness can make it difficult to “get over it,” and without treatment, it can be impossible. Just like failing to go to the doctor for a physical illness can cause your sickness to worsen, the same can occur with mental health disorders. Therapy gives you the tools you need to manage your mental health when you have more of a burden to shoulder than others.
#2 - Therapy Is Only For Really Bad Mental Illness
Another misconception is that therapy only exists for extreme cases of mental illness. Deep trauma, severe mood disorders, or suicide ideation are fine for therapy, but what about a little bit of social anxiety or work related stress? Surely those things don’t require therapy.
The truth is that everyone can benefit from therapy, whether it’s short-term counseling to cope with a difficult time in your life or long-term treatment for mental illnesses. Therapy can even give you the tools you need to cope with a stressful job or to have more confidence in social situations.
#3 - Therapy Is Just Venting To Your Therapist About Your Problems
Talking about the issues you’re facing in your life is an essential part of therapy. The better your therapist understands your situation, the more they can help you. But therapy does not end with talking about your problems. In therapy, your therapist will introduce you to skills that you can use to cope with those problems or to find solutions. You may also set goals with your therapist and plan out how to address pressing conflicts or stressful situations in your life. Therapy is ultimately about building the skills you need to live your life worth living, not simply venting.
#4 - Therapy Will Fix All Of Your Problems
Therapy is not a magic fix. You can’t go into a few sessions and come out with no mental illnesses and no stressors in your life. In fact, often the things you address in therapy are things you have no control over: external stressors or mental health diagnoses. What therapy can do is provide you with the tools to address those problems. You may learn problem solving skills that can make things easier, but no therapist will be able to wave a wand and make everything all better.
#5 - Therapy Blames Your Parents For Everything
The stereotype about therapy is that your parents get the blame for everything that goes wrong in your life. The truth behind this is that therapists do want to learn more about your childhood and formative years in order to better contextualize your current situation. Sometimes that means discussing family dysfunction. But even those from a loving, supportive family can still have mental health issues. More importantly, therapy isn’t about blame or shame but rather understanding and validation.
#6 - Your Therapist Does All the Work in Therapy
One mistake new therapy patients make is walking into therapy expecting not to have to make any effort. There is an idea that they will tell their therapist everything they’re feeling and their therapist will give them a “prescription,” whether in the form of a life change or medication management. In actuality, therapy is more like a partnership. Your therapist will give you tools and guidance, and you participate by giving context and using those tools in your daily life. If you want therapy to be effective, you have to be willing to participate.
#7 - Your Therapist Is Judging You
Especially when you have anxiety or have experience with being harshly judged, it’s easy to worry that your therapist will judge you. This can lead to holding back on vital information that they need to understand and help you. Remember that your therapist treats patients with a variety of mental illnesses for a living. There is little that you can say that will shock them. Their job is to provide you a safe and non-judgmental space to work through the issues that disrupt your life worth living.
#8 - If You’re Doing Well, You’re Wasting Your Therapist’s Time
Some weeks are better than others, especially when living with mental illness. Because of this, you may find yourself showing up to a therapy session after a pretty good week and worrying that you don’t have much to say. This can make patients feel as though they are wasting the therapist’s time because they’re doing well.
The truth is that your therapist wants to hear when things are going well for you. After all, the goal of therapy is to have more of those good weeks and learn how to manage the worse weeks. On your good weeks, you can examine what went well and why it went well. There may be lessons to be learned from that which you can use on your worse weeks.
Are you looking for a therapist? Rivia Mind’s skilled and compassionate team stands ready to help you. Contact us today to learn more or to find a provider.
