So Who Really Needs Therapy?

One of the questions that I get asked the most is whether everyone should get therapy or whether it’s only necessary for people who have mental illness or serious issues. The simple answer is that everyone – no matter how perfect you are or your life has been – can benefit from individual therapy.

Though I am a proponent of therapy, I am just as quick to tell people that therapy is not the only healer or vehicle to significant change. Many people have a significant religious figure in their lives, whether it is a priest, rabbi, or someone else. Others have a teacher or professor, or another professional in their lives they can lean on when things get difficult.

The important point is that it is important to speak to someone objective about the issue that you’re struggling with. Therapists, religious figures, and others are more likely to be objective than family or friends, and it is this objectivity that will help give you the perspective you need to see your problem clearly and to know how to go about dealing with it.

I believe in the power of therapy above all other possible relationships because therapy allows for a lengthy session, a consistent time to have it, and little to no interruptions in the therapeutic setting. This focus is incredibly important for the client. Yet if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of therapy, consider talking to a professional at your church or someone in another arena in your life. If you decide to do the latter, it is critical that you can trust that the information you’re sharing will be kept confidential so that you can develop true trust with your confidant.

Regardless of whether you choose to talk to a therapist or another type of professional, this relationship can help bring significant positive change to your life!