Therapy has so many benefits. So, so many. I for one, have felt the weight of the world come off my shoulders after discussing things with my therapist.
With May being Mental Health Awareness month, I wanted to touch on 5 reasons why therapy is beneficial. Some you may already know and some you may not. But lets get into it.
5 Reasons Why Therapy is Beneficial
1. You Don’t Bottle Your Emotions
Going to traditional talk therapy is so relieving. All of your thoughts and feelings come pouring out. For me, they come out in-between cries and deep breaths.
We’ve all been there where we think it’s better to bottle up those feelings. We think we can move forward without working through them but spoiler alert, they will always find a way back to you. Nothing good has ever come from suppressing feelings. Nothing good has ever come from not discussing things that are eating away at you.
I can speak to this personally. I once kept things bottled in, thinking it was best for everyone around me. In reality, it was probably one of the worst things I could have done. I should have gotten mad, voiced my hurt, and even hashed it out when I had the chance to but instead I bottled it up and sealed it air tight. It did absolutely nothing for me. Absolutely nothing and that was a big life lesson learned.
2. Talking Through Feelings is Healing
Similar to above in that you shouldn’t bottle up what you’re feeling, talking through things is an absolute game changer.
Attending therapy gives you that space to open up about what or how you’re feeling. It’s a space that I call my safe space. A room with just you and your therapist digging into whatever’s on your mind. Whether it be big or small, talking about your feelings is one of the biggest ways to help alleviate heavy thoughts and feelings.
There have been many therapy appointments that I’ve had where just simply talking about something that has been weighing on my mind has been so freeing. After one heavy appointment in particular, I cried on my way home. And not because I was sad or feeling horrible, but quite the opposite. I felt like the world had been lifted off my back and for that reason alone, therapy is incredibly freeing for your mind and heart.
3. Your Therapist is Unbiased
One of the best things about therapy is that your therapist will typically remain unbiased. Sure, they’ll agree with your emotions and tell you your feelings are valid but for the most part, there is no judgement. And if there is, it may be time to find a new person.
Your therapist is there to help you dive into thoughts and feelings about whatever you’re going through. Their opinion (unless you asked for it) is typically void. And that’s what makes therapy wonderful. You have a compassionate individual who is there to help you heal and move forward.
It should also feel like a judgment-free zone. Therapy shouldn’t feel like you’re being judged on what you’re discussing or feel like you’re wasting their time either. I once had an awful experience with a therapist and you can read more about finding the right one for you in this post.
4. You Can Begin to Move Forward
Going to therapy gives you the opportunity to work through things and allow you to move forward with your life. Talking about things that have bothered or hurt you gives you the chance to free your mind and heart. As humans, we carry a lot of emotion with us and sometimes those emotions can be heavy. They can weigh us down even if we don’t intend for them to.
By speaking with a therapist about things going on in your life, you’re able to acknowledge them, fix or mend them, and then move on.
When I was going to therapy bi-weekly last year, I had some heavy things I wanted to work through. Things that kept me up all hours of the night, things that made me cry out of the blue, and things that made me feel like a totally different person. Therapy is a space for you to work through life’s harder moments and find ways to cope and move forward. I for one, haven’t cried or stayed awake in worry since working through some emotions and I cannot begin to tell you how liberating that is. For my heart and mind.
5. Recognizing Your Source of Pain is Freeing
Therapy is interesting. Typically I like to think of at least two things I’d like to discuss during my therapy sessions and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we went “off track” of what my intentions were to discuss.
Finding the source of your pain is freeing. You learn things about yourself, those around you, and even how your past all play parts in how you feel things today. Learning and recognizing those sources can bring so much understanding as to why things may bother you now and even why you are the way you are.
I discovered in one therapy session that I’m a sensitive person. Something I would have never pegged myself for. But, turns out I am. It’s a pretty marvelling feeling to get to the source of why you are the way you are. Once I learned that about myself, some things in my life made sense and in a way, made it easier for me to move on. Learning more about yourself isn’t a bad thing and only brings understanding to future circumstances.
Therapy Can Be for Everyone
I hope these 5 reasons on why therapy is beneficial to you gave you some kind of insight in regards to it. Even if it was only one of the reasons that resonated with you, my hope is to break that bearer that therapy is only for the weak.
Therapy truly is for everyone. If everyone went to at least 3 sessions, I’m convinced we’d all be a little happier and nicer to one another.
Therapy has no prerequisites, no biases, and can definitely be the shoulder you need.
If you’re looking for a place to start your journey and find a therapist, try Find a Therapist for those who live in Ontario, Canada.
