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When I was 18 years old, I sought help in therapy to deal with certain issues I was struggling with at the time.
I'll never forget our family doctor's response when I told him that I started therapy: "Why are you going to therapy? Do you think you're a movie star?"
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| Why Do People Go to Therapy? |
I knew he was trying to make light of a subject that made him feel uncomfortable but, even back then, as a teenager, I realized his response was unenlightened and behind the times.
I would like to think people are better informed now, but I still hear from clients in my psychotherapy private practice that their friends and family respond negatively when they hear about therapy:
"Why are you going to therapy?"
"Therapy is for crazy people. You're not crazy"
"You must be weak if you going to therapy" and so on
See my articles below about common misconceptions about therapy.
So, after hearing these remarks many times, I thought it would be worthwhile to write about the reasons why people go to therapy. I'm hoping this article can help to normalize the therapy process.
Why Do People Attend Psychotherapy?
People attend therapy for a variety of reasons including but not limited to:
- Personal Growth: Many people seek help in therapy to develop self awareness and self reflective capacity. Self reflective capacity is the ability to examine, analyze and evaluate your thoughts, feelings and behavior. This includes the capacity to reflect on your inner emotional and psychological world to understand the ways you feel, think and behave. This allows you to make changes in the way you see yourself and how you interact with others (see my article: The Growth Mindset vs the Fixed Mindset).
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| Going to Therapy For Personal Growth |
- A Negative Mood on Most Days: Many people, who experience anxiety and/or depression or who feel unmotivated or overwhelmed by their emotions, seek help in therapy to overcome these problems (see my article: What is the Connection Between Anxiety and Depression?).
- Major Life Changes: Major life changes can exciting. They can also be confusing, anxiety-inducing and overwhelming. People who have difficulty coping with major changes and want strategies to make life transitions easier seek help in therapy (see my articles: Coping With Major Changes in Your Life and Coping With Midlife Transitions).
- Unresolved Trauma: Unresolved trauma often has a negative impact on day-to-day interactions with loved ones or colleagues. Getting help in trauma therapy can help to overcome trauma. Note: Trauma can be a one-time event or it can occur over time such as unresolved childhood abuse or neglect.
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| Going to Therapy to Overcome Trauma |
- Relationship Issues: People who seek individual therapy or couples therapy to work on relationship issues often find they benefit from therapy and they have more fulfilling relationships. Also, some couples want to work on having an amicable separation or divorce or help on how to co-parent in a healthy way ,
- See my article: What is EFT Therapy For Couples Therapy?
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| Going to Therapy For Relationship Problems |
- Low Self Esteem: Problems with low self esteem can have a negative impact on all areas of life. People who attend therapy can develop a healthy sense of self (see my article: What is Low Self Esteem?).
- Sexual Problems: Individual clients and people in relationships benefit from seeking help in sex therapy to overcome sexual problems.
- Family Problems: One of the most common reasons why people seek help in therapy is to deal with past or current family issues (see my article: Healing Mother-Daughter Relationships).
- Grief: Even though grief is a common experience for everyone at some point, grief can be overwhelming especially if people don't know how to grieve or they experience complicated grief.
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| Going to Therapy For Grief Work |
- Career or Work-Related Problems: Work relationships can be similar to a dysfunctional family. Many therapy clients benefit from developing an ability to deal with difficult work relationships, changes at work or career transitions (see my articles: Coping With a Difficult Boss and Balancing Your Personal Life and Your Career).
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| Going to Therapy For Work-Life Balance |
- Problems with Managing Emotions: Many people, who never learned the skills involved with managing emotions, benefit from learning these skills in therapy (see my article: Developing Skills to Manage Your Emotions in Experiential Therapy).
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| Going to Therapy to Manage Emotions |
- Problems Managing Stress: Everyone experiences stress. However, people who feel overwhelmed by stress and who might not have the skills to manage their stress can benefit from seeking help in therapy to develop these skils (see my article: Stress Management: Are You Experiencing Chronic Stress and Unaware of It?).
Common Misconceptions About Therapy
Generally, people are better informed about psychotherapy than in the past, but there is still a stigma among people who don't understand therapy.
I have included links below for the most common misconceptions about therapy:
Getting Help in Therapy
People seek help in therapy for many different reasons.
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| Getting Help in Therapy |
Whether you're considering therapy for your personal growth or you have problems you have been unable to cope with on your own, you could benefit from working with a skilled psychotherapist.
Rather than struggling on your own, seek help from a licensed mental health professional so you can live a more fulfilling life.
About Me
I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT (for couples), Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.
With over 20 years of experience, I have helped many individual adults and couples (see my article: What is a Trauma Therapist?).
To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.
To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.
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