When I was 16, I saw my first therapist—a middle-aged lady with kind eyes who patiently willed me to open up in a safe space. Since then, I’ve been in and out of therapy with various providers. This is mainly because it can be hard to keep up with appointments as life gets busy, it hasn’t always been accessible to me, or I’ve moved around a lot. However, I’ll never discount the benefits of seeing someone as it’s been life-changing for me and helped me grow into a better person. Here are some benefits I’ve discovered with talking to a professional:
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You get an unbiased point-of-view.
Working through your problems with someone you don’t have a shared history with can help you look at issues from a different perspective; it’s sometimes unfamiliar, but often more helpful.
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Working through your internal processes can help you learn more about yourself and grow.
When you start to understand why you think and behave the way you do, you become more self-aware and can work towards making healthier decisions in your life.
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You learn more about the way you view yourself vs. the reality.
Related to growing self-awareness, you learn to get out of your head and be more present in the real world. You start to realize that many of your worries are just that, and your present reality is not as chaotic as you imagined.
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You learn healthy strategies to deal with your issues.
It’s a long, hard process, but you learn to stop using unhealthy coping mechanisms to avoid your problems and instead face them head-on.
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You have someone to vent and cry to without fear of judgement.
Of course you can do this with your loved ones too, but it can be more beneficial with a professional so that you don’t have to worry about putting too much of an emotional burden on the other person.
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You get help with unpacking hidden traumas.
You don’t realize it, but a lot of your behaviors and thought patterns are affected by your most traumatic experiences, especially the ones that you haven’t fully processed yet. When you start to unpack and process these experiences, you begin to heal.
Ready to take the plunge? Here are some tips to get started after you make your first appointment:
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Don’t be afraid to open up.
It can feel weird sharing your deepest thoughts with a complete stranger, but remember that they’re here to help you.
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You don’t have to stick with the first therapist you meet.
It can take a few tries to find someone you vibe with, so don’t feel discouraged if your first session doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped.
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Work on seriously implementing practices and strategies into your daily life.
Part of the healing and growth process is including the strategies you learn in therapy into your daily habits and routines.
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Have an open mind.
You won’t always be told what you want to hear, but sometimes it’s exactly what you need.
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Don’t expect to magically feel better overnight.
It’s okay if you feel good one day and go back to unhealthy patterns the next. Remember that healing and growth aren’t linear.
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Therapy is just one part of a whole.
Learning mindfulness practices and healthy habits along the way will help you immensely.
As mental health awareness grows in society, I hope we can learn that it’s okay to ask for help, even when we think our problems aren’t big enough to warrant it.