Deciding to come to therapy is hard. There's lots of things that get in the way of making that first call, whether it be pride, shame, stigma, or anxiety. Many folks have an idea of what therapy looks like (like lying down on a couch talking about your mom) but the truth is that therapy can look different for everyone. Together with a panel of mental health experts across California, we'll help show you that different therapists have different styles, perspectives, and treatments to showcase there's not one "right" way to improve your mental health.
So...Why do I need therapy?
I hear this from time to time and the way I look at it is this: you may not “need” therapy but a better question could be, will I benefit from therapy? Am I in a place where I want to invest in my own growth, examine my way of being, and learn new ways to communicate? Do I want to shift away from negative thoughts and self doubt, and build better relationships? Just like we might not “need” to go to the gym, it’s still a good idea to take steps towards strengthening your physical health, just like it can be beneficial to take steps towards strengthening your mental and relational health! Going to therapy is giving yourself permission to make your healing and growth a priority.
Shannon Williams, LMFT
Private Practice Therapist
The long answer to your question would be that it depends a lot on how the person feels they are "handling" their problems currently.
If someone is white knuckling their way through every issue that arrives and they feel stressed constantly, therapy might be a good place to learn some new skills and brush up on more effective strategies for dealing with life (also, never underestimate the power of having an unbiased witness validate that, yes, our lives can be really difficult!). Talking with someone who is dedicated 100% to focusing on you for an hour is powerful just by itself.
However, the end goal is often for people to feel capable of handling their problems on their own anyway. If a person is confident and capable when adversity arises, then they might already be in a mentally strong place. Being emotionally healthier is an achievable goal for many people, even if it feels insurmountable in the moment.
The short answer to your question would be "Check in with yourself and be honest if you could benefit from some outside assistance, and there is no shame in asking for help."
Ben Friday, LMFT
Private Practice Therapist
The question itself I find very interesting, as it comes from a perspective and/or belief that therapy is about "problems", and therefore "fixing" them. Personally, I view therapy as a process of increasing the ability to "process", and optimizing "functioning". In this perspective, I do not view people as "patient's", but as client's, as "patient's" inherently, by definition of the word, have something "wrong" that needs "fixing", where "client's" have something that they would like to "work on, improve on", which changes the narrative and meaning of what "therapy" is, and what it is for.
Anthony Simone, LMFT
Residential Substance Abuse Center, Clinical Director
That’s amazing that you can handle most problems on your own. Therapy isn’t a necessity, it it’s a tool we can use to help use navigate and manage life. I see it as driving a car. We have a rear view mirror and side mirrors so we can see everything. We may know how to fix any problem that occurs with the car too, but even when we’re driving in all kinds of weather, there are blind spots. Like in life because we are all human, we all have blind spots that we cannot see that others can and they can point out our blind spots and provide us insight about them. That’s kinda like therapy. It helps us see the blind spots and gives us an opportunity to learn new or better ways to fix that car that we may have not known before and also provide us self-awareness to recognize those blind spots so we can drive more smoothly on the road during all types of weather.
Cassie Lee, ACSW
Community Mental Health Therapist
I always say anyone can benefit from therapy. Therapy addresses a range of challenges people face in their lives, from severe mental health challenges, to just needing an additional person to talk to once in a while. In my opinion, therapy should be treated like any other medical check up. Most often, when thinking of going to the doctor, we don't ask ourselves "do I need to go to the doctor for my yearly physical?", we just go. Although we know it's not always the most enjoyable experience, we go to the doctor because we know it's what's good for us. I hope one day we can get to a place where we treat therapy as casually as we do going to the doctor. Also just like visiting the doctor, therapy is way more effective when used as preventative measures as opposed to interventions once situations have become complex.
Rachel Ryan, ACSW
Community Mental Health Therapist
Have a suggestion for a question, or know someone whose opinion is worth sharing? Email Shannon@risinganchortherapy.com to share.