Go To Therapy!

Back in 2017 a little after giving birth to my youngest son, I was scheduled to link up with an old friend. I realized I double booked and alerted her that I would have to meet at a later time because I had a therapy session scheduled at the same time as our meetup. Her response to the text message was, “Whoa, are you ok? Why are you going to therapy?” At that time I felt a little weird, nervous, and honestly slightly ashamed because I was a newbie to this therapy thing. I was still trying to keep the facade of “I got it all together”. What would people think of me when they find out I am in therapy? I still believed that therapy meant there was something wrong with you that needed fixing. I did not grow up witnessing people going to therapy and seeing the positive benefits. Therapy was not something that was discussed much in my family growing up.

Well, fast forward to now, my response and feelings to therapy are completely different. If I was asked today, am I ok and why I am going to therapy, my response back would be, “Are you ok? Why don’t you have a therapist?” 

Whether your life is going great or you are struggling to navigate through it, I believe that everyone should experience the power of therapy. Therapy has helped shift my mindset on how I react, understand, and get through the challenges in my life. One of the greatest things that therapy has helped me with is understanding my emotions and how not to be reactionary but pause and feel your emotions, have grace, and take a moment to think about what you are feeling before reacting. At times in life, we can be stuck and stagnant because we cannot move past certain things in our past! Therapy is a great resource to push through the many barriers that come with this crazy thing called life. 

With years of positivity from therapy, enjoy some pros and tips I have l have pulled together from my experience.

Pros to attending therapy

• Having someone in your life who is licensed to listen.

  • Family and friends could be biased to provide feedback that makes you feel good rather than helping and challenging you where needed.

• Overcoming pain from your past.

• Assistance with navigating triggers in your life.

• Provides a fresh perspective on your life and the challenges you face.

• Helps to understand your emotions and learn how to positively react to them.

• Improves your relationships.

• Builds confidence because you understand yourself better.

Tips when starting therapy

1. Make the decision for yourself

   1. Reflect on how therapy could change your life. Do not just go because it will make a relationship better or be better for someone else. Go because it will make YOU better. Therapy will help you understand yourself better, help you make better decisions, and be more emotionally and mentally stable while navigating life’s craziness.

2. Find the therapist that works for YOU

   1. Keep in mind that just because someone is a therapist does not mean they are all the same. Think about why you are going to therapy and maybe try to find a therapist that specializes in that area of help.

   2. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look for information on your potential therapist. Are there any articles they have written that could give you some insight into their practice? Are there any podcast interviews of them in which you can hear their voice and learn a little more about them?

   3. ASK QUESTIONS during your first session or an intake session, if they have one.

3. BE HONEST

   1. Do not waste the time of your therapist or your own time. Show up, be honest, and remember that being honest in therapy produces growth and healing.

4. Get Uncomfortable

   1. Be open and optimistic about trying skills and techniques outside of your comfort zone. Maybe your ways of navigating through life are not working so well.

5. Be committed and patient

   1. Great growth will not happen overnight. So be committed and patient for the benefit of you, your purpose, your family, and the overall quality of your life!

I am not an expert on therapy but through my experience, this blog post shows some things I have learned along the way. Therapy changed my mindset and mentally made me a stronger woman. As I stated earlier, one of the best things therapy has taught me is to break down my feelings and make sense of them. Find areas I can make little changes day by day that will result in dynamic long-term changes in my life. 

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE YOU COULD USE SOME EXTRA HELP IN?

Give yourself a chance at growth and healing and give therapy a chance!