Thinking about Change? 5 Benefits of Therapy
In my article, Therapy Vs. Coaching: What is the Difference? I discussed the difference between Therapy and Coaching. I encourage you to check out the article to learn more about how these two powerful self-development tools vary. However, in today’s article, I want to go a little deeper into what Therapy is, and the benefits of working with a therapist.
If you check out my bio, you will see I have a Masters of Social Work, and have worked in the field for over 18 years. During this time, I provided therapeutic interventions to clients in a number of settings. However, 5 years ago I decided to start my own practice, dedicated to women and women’s issues. If you want to learn more about that click here.
A lot of times when people think of therapy, they think of it as something for “people who have something wrong with them” or “who have a mental illness” However, nothing could be further from the truth. Therapy is a judgment-free space where individuals are able to discuss their life challenges, in a safe and nurturing environment. There are so many benefits of working with a therapist. Below you will find my top 5 reasons to embark on a therapy journey:
5 Benefits of Doing Therapy
Emotional Support
Therapy can be a great way to obtain emotional support. Often when we are struggling with a problem, we may have friends and family, but don’t always feel comfortable to share our thoughts with them. It could be, we are afraid of judgement, or it’s the challenges in these very relationships we need support with. So who do you turn to? A therapist is a great way to be able to speak through our problems and obtain the professional support we may need. They can provide a safe and supportive environment where you can freely share your thoughts, feels, and beliefs. You can also work through difficult emotions such as sadness, anxiety, grief, and anger, etc. Additionally, therapists are supposed to be non biased, thus, the feedback and support you obtain from them are supposed to be without judgement.
Improved Mental Health
By working with a therapist, and addressing the difficulties you may be experiencing, this can lead to greater mental health and well-being. Unlike physical health, we can often forget the importance of taking care of our mental health and well-being. Without good mental functioning, it can be difficult to enjoy our lives to the fullest. A therapist can provide you with strategies and coping techniques to deal with difficulties, as well as, help manage symptoms of mental illness. Therapy is definitely a valuable tool in improving ones mental health.
Enhanced Self Awareness
As I’ve said before, we don’t know what we don’t know. When we can understand not only how we experience ourselves, but also how others experience us, self-awareness can do wonders in being able to navigate our lives. Working with a therapist can help you gain this deeper understanding. It allows you to understand yourself, your patterns of behavior, and your relationships.
Opportunity to Heal
I believe we all come with a story. Along our journey of life there will have been times that have been very painful. Many people have experienced various traumas and find these past incidences are impacting whom they would like to be. Working through our past pains can be very important in becoming the person we’d like to be. A therapist can come up with a clear plan for treatment to help you work through your past.
Often, we think that these have to be major life-changing events, but that isn’t the case. Something such as a breakup, or difficult work experience, can require healing. People often find that when they work through these past life events, it makes it easier to navigate forward, and become the best person that they would like to be.
Improved Relationships
Very often when we think of the benefits of working with a therapist, we often think of how it will benefit us as an individual person. We may consider how it can help with a struggling relationship, for example through couple’s counselling; but seldom do we consider how it can improve our relations with people overall. As already mentioned, therapy is a great tool for self-discovery and improvement. In turn, developing a deeper relationship and understanding of ourselves, allows us to connect with others in a more productive and thoughtful way; as we are more inclined to show up as our best selves.
Working with a therapist can help you learn new skills and techniques to address the roadblocks we often face when relating to different people. For example, if you have a hard time communicating your feelings, and have the tendency to just “blow up”. A therapist may help you understand where this deficit comes from, and how to remedy it. You may learn about different communication styles, and how to acknowledge and express your feelings. You may even learn about setting boundaries, and techniques like nonviolent communication. Not only will this new awareness help in your personal relationships, it can help with connecting with co-workers, or even relating to strangers we come across in our day-to-day lives.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the many benefits of working with a therapist. Therapy is an opportunity to heal and grow in a variety of ways, and allow you to experience life in a fuller fashion. I have been so honoured to help my clients be able to get to this place. If you are considering working with a therapist or would like to inquire about services. Check out my Counselling/Therapist page or schedule a no-charge consultation to see if I am able to support you.
