1. You get to say literally whatever you want.
Want to call that person who cut you off in traffic a curse word? Go right ahead! Need to complain about your kid’s teacher? Have at it. It’s your space to say whatever needs to be said, take advantage!
2. There is no judgment.
We are all human beings. We all do things we aren’t proud of. I can guarantee that the human sitting across from you has made mistakes in their life too. What would it be like to confess to those seemingly dark things you keep hidden away? What would it be like to set them free? You may find that if you choose to let another human share in the darkness, it inevitably has less power over you.
3. It can give you a different perspective.
That memory that creeps in sometimes, the one that makes you tear up or get angry and lash out at your kids later on in the day? Well, therapy cannot take away things that have happened to you but it can help you see them differently. It can offer you an opportunity to take some of the power out of the experience. This is the essential nature of healing.
4. It can improve your relationships.
Experiencing a relationship with a therapist is unlike any other relationship. There is safety, responsiveness, and hopefully trust that can unlock the pieces of you that become available within that relationship. And then, guess what? You get to translate those parts of you to other relationships in your life.
Therapy can provide a corrective experience to relational injuries we may have suffered at the hands of other humans. When someone else can hold loving space for us, we start to see ourselves as worthy of being loved. And that changes everything but especially our capacity to show up in relationships.
5. We learn to be curious.
We develop what’s called an “observer mind”. This is a tool we can use to reflect on things. We can notice our assumptions, our patterns, our reactions and begin to see ourselves with curiosity instead of waking up after the fact going, “what did I just do?”
This curiosity may lead us to a place where we begin to catch ourselves in our patterns and be able to do things differently. Just last week, I saw myself reacting to a story I had written about an interaction with a friend and was able to pause, observe, and ultimately make a different decision. Therapy works.
There are a million other things I could say about the incredible benefits of working with a therapist. However, as someone who has bounced around to different practitioners, I will say that finding the right therapist is important.
If you decide you want to experiment with therapy, make sure to thoroughly interview your therapist. It helps if you feel like your therapist can match your values and your energy.
The connection with your therapist can accelerate your ability and motivation to do the work for yourself so make sure you take the time to get to know them a little bit!
Therapy isn’t the only path. Yoga, meditation, gardening, all of these things have immense benefits. But they can’t really compare to the magic of being witnessed and held in unconditional positive regard by another human being. If love is the cure-all, then therapy is the bottle that holds the medicine.
As a therapist, I can almost guarantee that your therapist holds a special place for you in their heart. They think you are the cat’s pajamas. And if not, get a new therapist. You deserve it!
♥️
Ｃａｔｈｅｒｉｎｅ
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 & 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁
🫶🏽 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺