Therapy Myths Busted: The Truth Might Surprise You
Therapy Isn’t What You Think
A lot of people have ideas about what therapy is—but not all of them are true. Have you ever heard someone say therapy is just for 'crazy' people? Or that all you do is sit and talk about your childhood? Let’s clear some things up.
Myth #1: “Therapy is only for people with serious problems.”
Bust it: Therapy is for everyone, not just people in crisis. Therapy is like going to the gym for your mind, going regularly can make a big difference on your quality of life. Think about it, you don’t wait until your teeth fall out to go to the dentist, right?
Myth #2: “The therapist tells you what to do.”
Bust it: Therapy is not about giving orders. If done correctly, it’s more like a guide helping you find your own answers. A therapist helps you understand yourself better—not boss you around. While there may be advice or leading questions to get you where the therapist thinks is most beneficial to you, no one is bossing you around. In fact, the therapist works for you and if you ever feel they are bossing you around, you should either let them know and/or find a therapist that is a better fit for you.
Myth #3: “Talking about your feelings makes things worse.”
Bust it: Bottling up feelings is what actually makes things worse. I think about it like shaking a soda bottle and never opening it. Emotions are meant to be felt, learned from and talked about. Letting things out safely helps the pressure go down. If you or someone you know has had outbursts over small things, this tends to mean they ignore their feelings until their body cannot take it anymore and they come out in ways we rarely have control over. Therapy helps you understand your emotions, how they feel in your body and how to regulate them.
Myth #4: “Therapy is all about the past.”
Bust it: Some of it is, but much of it is about your life now. In therapy you might peek into the past, but mostly, therapy helps you feel better in the present. The past can be an effective way for the therapist to learn about the client and help them adjust habits to make their present and future align with what the client wants. But no, it is not all about the past.
Myth #5: “If therapy works, it’ll be fast.”
Bust it: Progress takes time, just like learning anything else. You don’t learn playing the piano in one lesson. Small steps still count as progress. Within Still Mind Therapy we like to say “progress is greater than perfection.” Often times progress looks different for everyone, in sessions you will make goals and can discuss how long it may take to achieve them. However, there are many factors that impact how long it can take. Some examples include how big the goal might be, how often therapy occurs, how much work the client does outside of therapy on the specific goal, life events that may impact progress or attendance in therapy, etc.
Quick Recap: What Therapy Is…
A safe space to talk.
A place to learn new skills.
Support when life feels hard.
Help to grow stronger inside.
Therapy is for humans, not “broken” people. You don’t need to wait until things fall apart to ask for help. Therapy isn’t scary. It’s brave. And it’s for anyone who wants to feel better, grow, or understand themselves more. We are here to help, take a look at our availability and see if there is one that fits into your schedule by clicking “book an appointment.”
