Debunking 7 myths about therapy
Don't let misconceptions stand in the way of getting help during stressful situations.
Misguided notions about what really goes on in a practicing psychotherapist’s office often come from novels or television. Psychotherapists are often portrayed as incompetent hacks, more disturbed than their clients. Some scenes are good, some bad, and others downright comical. There are numerous myths about psychotherapy that continue to show up in the written word, on the screen, and in the workplace. Here are six of the most common ones:
- People who seek therapy are weak, mentally ill or crazy: Social stigma does not allow people to openly talk about their problems and seek professional help. The moment we talk about therapy / counselling we get one of those weird looks. Anyone seeking therapy will be struggling with many of the same problems we all struggle with in our daily lives: relationships, self-doubt, confidence, career dilemma, life transitions, stress, anxiety, depression. For some of us these problems or struggles diminish with time or when you progress through life however, for some of us they amplify with the recent life event and experiences they had. Therapy can help with:
- Managing emotions / feelings / stress / anxiety
- Accomplishing personal and professional goals
- Cultivating stronger / meaningful relationships
- Developing healthy habits / lifestyle
- Dealing life transitions
- Few people go for therapy: People who come forward to take professional help are not comfortable talking about it with others. Seeing a therapist is still perceived differently than working with a fitness trainer, dietician, physical therapist. We often cannot wait to tell someone that we have hired a professional to help us with our health. Those hires are met with high fives and approving words. With therapy, though, we commonly keep it to ourselves or confide only in a close friend or relative.
- Therapy is costly and endless / Once you take therapy you are dependent on it forever: Therapy is often perceived as a non-ending process and costs a fortune. Sometimes therapy may last longer depending upon the criticality of the patient. Each problem is unique, and each therapy is different. Hence, defining a timeline for a therapy is difficult but according to the 2010 study done in the United States, people take 3-10 sessions for a particular problem faced by them. Often people leave therapy even before the therapist does a deeper work. This wastes both time and effort and a person is unsatisfied with the services provided by a therapist Therapy is a two-way process, and both the therapist and client must work together to reach at a favourable outcome. Good therapy needs both time and investment, but it is not a non-ending process and may not cost a fortune as well. Therapy is an investment worth making. The average session is around 60 minutes, and first session is more about getting acquainted with each other. Normally, a therapist takes 1-3 sessions to understand the root cause of the problem. Often after every session, therapists start offering solution / assign activities and tasks to be done before next session and based on the outcome next session is directed. Normally, a therapistrecommends 1 session in a week.
- Therapy is not confidential: People feel afraid to open to a therapist as they feel the information they are sharing will not remain confidential. However, as per code of ethics, information shared with a therapist remains confidential. Therapist do not even share it with anyone as an example also. Be assured that your therapy sessions will remain confidential, and it is this part which makes therapy most effective tool for change and healing. Counselling records are destroyed 7 years after your last contact with us in a way that protects your privacy.
- Therapists are not empathetic: Empathy is the foundation of therapeutic intervention. If you think your therapist is not empathetic, judgemental or distracted, you could change to find the right match for you. Therapist are expected & trained to provide unconditional positive regard and empathy.Some therapist prefer to be a ‘blank slate’ which can lead to a client feeling he is cold and unresponsive. But these are exceptions and not all therapists are same. If you are not comfortable with the behaviour of your therapist or find him cold / unresponsive, please look for a therapist who is more relatable to you and works rationally. At times we may need trial and error method to reach out to the best therapist for us.
- All therapy is same: People are often not able to find the right therapy for themselves and believe all therapy is same. This is not true. Going for therapy is a big decision and finding right therapy and therapist can be frustrating at times. Once you find a right therapist who can find the root cause of your problems and guide you, you will understand how therapy works differently for everyone. There are many platforms that have made understanding therapy easy for you to find the right therapy quickly.
- Therapy is only for people with clinical disorders: Therapy provides with important perspectives. It serves as a life audit from a trained, unbiased professional who has the best interest in mind. Therapy is beneficial in all and every aspect of life, you don't have to be diagnosed with a mental illness to seek therapy. Going to a session without a pressing issue is good, it serves as a preventive measure as long as you feel comfortable participating with or without a set of subjects or an agenda. Therapy is for anyone who seeks it.
