Hello Friend,
Much of our health is often about prevention. We don’t wait to get the flu before we treat it; we prevent it with a flu shot. We don’t wait to have a heart attack, we (at least try to) prioritize diet and exercise. It’s one thing to treat a health issue after it has occurred, but the real goal is to prevent a health issue from occurring.
The same should be true about mental health.
We have all experienced irrational thinking. We all have biases. We all have stressors, make poor decisions, have difficulties in our relationships and so much more.
Therapists are not only here to help you when you’re under mental duress. We’re also here to help prevent it. We are here to listen, analyze, offer insight and most importantly, guide you to realize your own insights. Everyone has stressors. Just as we emphasize that everyone should take care of his or her physical health with diet and exercise, now is also the time to start prioritizing mental health long before it can become a “disorder.”
Benefits of Therapy for Everyone
Everyone needs therapy. Me included. And I can attest to the rewards of therapy as I’ve seen it help, for myself and my clients, cultivate self-awareness and foster the gumption to make the choices that make the most sense for you. Just commit and you will see real results. So here are the five benefits:
- Therapy provides unbiased insight. We are trained to help you understand yourself. We are here to provide you with feedback, address your thought processes and help you think about things in a new way. More profoundly, you will come across those “eureka” moments in which therapy has led you to draw your own conclusions and insights. Those moments can be very impactful and you’ll walk away experiencing life in a way you haven’t before.
- Therapists act as an objective third party. We care about you. However, we’re not your family and we’re not your friends. Your loved ones may have a stake in your relationship or openly agree with, or comfort you. And they can also lead with unclear motives, whether they intend to or not. We’re professionals, here to provide you with honesty and feedback that isn’t based on any personal relationship. It is based on helping you feel the best that you can without external filters.
- Therapy allows for exclusive unadulterated “me” time. Life is filled with various stressors, and it becomes increasingly difficult to prioritize yourself. For instance, too often people resort to “mindless consumption” of social media as a way of relaxing and “taking care” of themselves. But self-care is a mindful act. It is something you do intentionally, that is truly good for you, like meditating and not scrolling through Instagram after you get home from work. There is a renewed focus on self-care, and there is perhaps no greater form of it than an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a therapist whose focus is on you.
- Therapy teaches you new coping mechanisms. We are able to be there with you to help you better understand your life. It is that support that also helps us direct you towards better coping mechanisms for your mental health. Learning how to integrate coping strategies such as meditation, controlled breathing, journaling and visualization are just a few important methods for overcoming a variety of issues. Your therapist can help keep you accountable and provide new strategies that are based on what’s working.
- Therapy can upgrade your life. Even when your life is going well, there may be domains in your life that you want to improve. Talking to a therapist can provide you with the support and guidance you need to enhance your growth. It gives you the space to talk about your ideas, dreams, fears and secrets to someone who challenges you, and elevates you to a place you want to be.
The end goal is to help you have more agency over your life and to confidently navigate your way through it so that you can then steer on your own. Give therapy a try, and as you playfully explore yourself and experience its surprising benefits, you’ll be on the way to real change.
Stay true,
Esther