I'm in therapy.

I've been in therapy for several years.

Actually, the reason why I'm still alive today is due to therapeutic intervention. Today, I have gained so much insight that is entirely a result of all the probing and digging my therapist has done with me. Although it's been far from an easy process, I will forever be grateful for this therapeutic journey.

Being open about mental health and recovery, of course many grimace at the fact that I'm in therapy. There are a gazillion stereotypes causing people to misinterpret the whole concept of therapy. "Oh you're crazy!" "Wow, you're that messed up, you can't even help yourself?" "Oh, you're psycho" is my favorite. The truth is, I'm not in therapy because I'm psycho- I'm in therapy to prevent me from going psycho! We're all human beings. That means, we ALL have problems. We all get depressed, anxious, insecure, etc. What I want to make clear is this: You don't have to have a mental illness to be in therapy. Being in therapy doesn't mean you're "sick in the head," it means you're smart and care about your mental health.

Maybe I feel this way just because I'm a social work student, but I truly believe that every single person on this earth could benefit from therapy. If you're not yet in therapy but are considering it, this post is for you. If you're in therapy and you're struggling with the stereotypes and think being in therapy makes you weak, this post is for you. Here are some reasons why it's okay to be in therapy:

1. You can vent about anything and everything

Whether you're stressed about school, work, or family life, you can tell your therapist. Some people think that therapy is dedicated to working through trauma, talking about severely depressing things, etc, and while therapy can be used for that, of course, the minor problems and daily stressors aren't minimized.

2. Your feelings will be validated

Invalidation makes me want to punch a wall and scream. Therapists confirm your feelings as being okay but help you recognize that not all feelings are factual and work with you in how to deal with those feelings. In therapy, you'll never be told you shouldn't feel a certain way about something. It's so relieving being constantly validating and it's a powerful tool.

3. You will gain so much insight about yourself and the world

Self-discovery is such a powerful thing and I promise you, the amount of insight you gain will be life-changing. You'll discover reasons why you feel a certain way, do certain things, and learn things about yourself that you never would have realized on your own. Also, gaining emotional awareness is an eye-opening thing.

4. You will get unconditional positive regard

It's easy and normal to project feelings towards other people onto our therapist, and sometimes we may get really angry. So many times have I lashed out at my therapist, expressing myself in ways that I normally would get condemned for, but he's never kicked me out. No matter how you're feeling, a good therapist does not talk back, argue with you, or "get mad" at you. In therapy, ALL feelings are allowed!

5. You will learn healthy coping skills

It's mind baffling to me how some people don't know any pleasurable activities that will benefit them rather than harm them. Sometimes we use defense mechanisms to cope and this leads to unhealthy and undesirable behaviors. Therapists will help you discover what works for you and how you can rely on that coping skill instead of some other tactics that you may unconsciously use to cope.

6. You can process feelings

It sucks being overwhelmed. Sometimes things happen that leave us with one giant cloud of confusion in our minds. Whether trying to process grief over a loved one or trying to process your feelings of falling in love, a therapist will sit with you in those feelings and will work through them with you. You are allowed to cry!

7. You will learn helpful skills that are of everyday use

These skills are different than coping skills. Cognitive behavioral therapists specifically will introduce you to techniques that will help you calm yourself down, validate yourself, and better deal with overwhelming emotions. I've learned relaxation techniques, thought stopper techniques, visualization techniques and many more things that have helped me feel better.

8. It helps improve communication skills

Therapy will teach you how to be assertive, confrontational and express feelings in an appropriate way. A client-therapist relationship reflects so much of what a relationship with a friend or spouse should look like-loyalty, positive regard, respect, trustworthiness, etc. Most, if not all of these qualities are built with solid communication as a foundation. I would argue and say that therapy helps you build stronger, long-lasting,healthy relationships.

9. You will learn to recognize faulty thinking patterns

We all have debilitating patterns of thinking that we're unaware of. But these faulty thinking patterns can really make us feel stuck! Of course, not every therapist is direct and will pinpoint every faulty thought, but they may give you tools in how to recognize that yourself. Many approaches to therapy are strictly uncovering these patterns and learning how to change them to be more self-loving rather than self-devouring. Which leads me to my next point...

10. You will think start to think more positively because of a perspective change

You just learn so many things in therapy. Once you start to explore certain thoughts or behavior patterns, it will make you want to change them. It's not an easy process at all and positive thinking is a practice, but eventually, if you work hard, I promise that you'll notice a difference in the ways you feel about yourself, life, and others. For that reason, the difficulty of therapy is all worth it!

In saying all of this, I want to make it clear that none of these benefits will be achieved if you, the client, do not work towards certain goals. People expect therapy to be this easy cookie-cutter process, and assume the therapist will do everything.

That is not the least bit true! Therapy is a two way street! You as the client have to take initiative, have to want to change, and have to be willing to do your part. Although all experiences are different, there is so much to be gained from a therapeutic journey, and I'd encourage all of you to consider exploring that.