Do you need to see a therapist? The answer to that question will always be YES! And it’s not because something is wrong with you, because there really isn’t. It’s more about the fact that everyone who has walked this earth needs therapy. From the time we are born we start gathering some sort of baggage from our parents, or family. We continue to pick up baggage from friends and co-workers and bosses. Also, we pick up other people’s baggage, and now we don’t know why everything in our life is so effed. So yes! You do need to see a therapist.
And while you may think you get enough opinion and advice from friends, that is probably the number 1 reason why you should seek out professional therapy. While people may have our best interest at heart, they are not the best at making you see your flaws. They will try to walk on eggshells when you ask them. Or they may hit below the belt because this is their chance to get to you. Or they may be put in a difficult situation to take your side, with the fear of possibly losing you. While we have friends and family to support us, if you truly need to get to the root cause of issues in your life, get a therapist. Know that you know you need one, here are a few reasons why you should see a therapist who has a degree to prove it.
1. Third Person Freedom
It is definitely easier to talk to a third person – and that is who your therapist will be for you. People shy away from talking about their feelings with family or friends for the fear of being judged. Having the freedom to talk to someone who doesn’t know who you are is great. They have also taken an oath to never talk about you to anyone but you. This is a big reason why therapy helps. It lets us stay focused on the issue and not the reaction of the other person. Going to a therapist might seem like a task at first, it will start benefiting you consciously and subconsciously too. And no one really has to know that you are seeing one anyways.
2. Zero Advice
Therapists will guide you into conversation. This bring up situations and problems you may have had in your recent past, your childhood, or whatever the reason you are currently on that couch. They are not trained to tell you what to do. This is a stark difference from family and friends, huh?. But they may highlight points in your story for you to dissect further. This process of guidance helps you uncover what you already unconsciously knew.
Different therapists have different styles, schools of thought, and approaches to this and not every therapist will be right for you. You may have to have a few sessions with different therapists before you click with one. You will click with them when you feel understood. If you feel reprimanded for something you say in therapy, do not go back. And you will start discovering things about yourself that give you those aha moments.
3. Childhood Dissection
One of the major sources of resolution I see in my own life is how my childhood dictated how I behave as an adult. There are so many things that children absorb from the time they are infants. And this lasts up to the time when their prefrontal cortex is still wiring up at 24 years of age. Imagine that! At 24 we are still not emotionally and mentally “wired”. If that is so, how are we to know from a young age, what is truly good for us and what is not? We are called adults at 18 and sent into the world to fend for ourselves and make the right decisions. And going back further, the most critical development age for children is between the ages of 0-7 years. And a study by the WordBank during their “The First 7” conference reveals similar data.
All this to say, while it may be difficult for you to talk to your parents about what your childhood was like, it would now be easier to know that there possibility that the way you react today, could definitely be explained by something in your past or childhood. And the work to get to the root cause to better yourself is worth the time spent talking things through with a therapist.
Conclusion
Whatever your situation may be, seek out a therapy. There are many ways to get to see a therapist these days. the online version with sites like betterhelp are also available to you. If you have insurance, call them up to see how many sessions they pay for and how you can maximize your savings. Some therapists will also help you free of charge in your state (in the U.S). You just have to seek them out.
Bonus: If you rather read books and do self-exercises, than go to a therapist – I HIGHLY recommend reading Mark Wolynn’s “It Didn’t Start With You”.
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Featured photo courtesy of unsplash.com
Article last updated on April 19, 2021
