Therapy used to have a more negative stigma attached to it. Luckily, more people, including celebrities, have been more open about their experiences with therapy and are helping others view it in a more positive light. Earlier this year, I decided to begin going to therapy as well. When a long-term relationship of mine came to an end earlier this year, the last thing I wanted to do was fall into destructive behaviors and patterns, so I thought I should begin going to therapy to process everything in a healthy way. I asked some friends who had been going to therapy and they liked the counseling services that my university provided, so that is where I decided to go. Here are some of the benefits you receive from attending therapy sessions regularly.
You get to vent for as much as you want.
Don't get me wrong, good friends who will allow you to vent are also important. However, it is good for us as individuals to take a step back and be considerate for that friend as well and think "ok, maybe I'm talking about this way too much with my friend." On the contrary, if you have a therapist, you can go on rants without worrying about burdening the other person because they are literally getting paid to listen to you.
The therapist helps you see issues from a logical perspective.
Sometimes we get the thoughts we ruminate on in our heads all tangled up. Voicing our worries and concerns out loud to another helps them assess the issue and give us logical solutions. For example, in my case, when I let my therapist know that I'm worrying about x, she'll challenge me to look at what has actually happened as opposed to what I think will happen. She also helps me look at things optimistically in the sense that I must strive to be willing to let things happen as they may.
Therapy helps you process your emotions in a healthy way.
My therapist has been super helpful in teaching me and recommending to me methods of de-stressing and coping, such as the 5-Minute Mindfulness Meditation. It helps you focus your mind on the here and now, and teaches you to learn to "notice and let go" the troubling thoughts.
Therapy can help you untangle the worried, anxious thoughts you have about the future.
Being an incoming senior, I have been very worried about what my plans are post-graduation. Having to choose between master's and PhD programs can be very overwhelming, as well as determining whether or not you plan to stay in-state or go out-of-state. This also comes with questioning your adequacy for any of this, and, if you're like me and struggle with trying to let go of perfectionism, there comes a lot of fear of making the right choices. Therapy will help bring you back to the present and work out strategies to help tackle the anxiety, such as writing out your worries in a journal for 2o minutes. Your therapist may lend or recommend books for you to read on a subject you struggle with. Mine is currently lending me one called "The Gifts of Imperfection" and has been very insightful so far.
You'll feel better.
Since I began going to therapy, I have been feeling much more optimistic about the future. I have been letting out the negative emotions that I've been feeling inside and trying to keep past situations from influencing future ones. I've been learning to not give up due to mental roadblocks and learning how to be a better person not only for myself but for others. It really has been instrumental in changing my life for the better.
Therapy is for everyone; we've all gone through difficult times and/or have emotions that need resolving. Most university campuses offer counseling/psych services at a lower rate than others, so if you think you'd benefit from it, it wouldn't hurt to check it out.
