5 Common Therapy Myths Debunked
There are many myths I see going around about therapy and what it is really like to engage with it. I have found that everyone’s experience in therapy is different, but there are some common themes. Often when clients have never done therapy before they will bring some of these myths into the therapy room. Below are five common myths that people believe about therapy and why they are not true.
1) Therapy is only for “weak” or “crazy” people
This could not be further from the truth. People go to therapy for so many different reasons. Not everyone who seeks therapy is necessarily severely depressed, suicidal, has a personality disorder or is traumatized. While most registered therapists are skilled enough to help those experiencing those issues, they also see many people who are seeking help for such things as stress management, relationship/interpersonal issues and life transitions.
In fact, a number of people who feel perfectly fine emotionally attend therapy for personal development, to find ways to improve their life and to learn more about themselves. Many clients who visit my Akron office say – “I think everyone should go to therapy at some point in their lives!” It really can be that impactful, if you are willing to engage it.
Often times the strongest and bravest people… those who are the furthest from being ‘weak,’ make the very difficult decision to go to therapy. It is extremely brave when someone decides to tackle and discuss the most difficult and private aspects of their personal lives, with a ‘stranger’ (therapist). Those who remain ‘weak’ are the ones who portray a tough exterior, when they are truly hurting deep inside and cannot be vulnerable enough to let anyone in or let anyone help them.
2) Therapists are like a ‘friend’ who gives you advice
When therapists receive their degrees and become registered in their profession, they must abide by a set of ethics (much like the ‘do no harm’ oath a medical doctor takes when they graduate) in their practice. Therapist are not your friend. They are trained professionals who are friendly with you, but there are ethics and boundaries that must be upheld. A therapist’s job is not to give you advice. Their job is to empathize and lead you into your own truth and values. If you therapist is constantly projecting their own opinions onto you, you will probably not get as much out of therapy as you could.
3) Therapy never ends
As a therapist who works out of a private practice, it is not uncommon for me to hear that there is a fear and apprehension to go to therapy as it is ‘expensive’ and ‘goes on for a long time.’ What I say to that is that the point of therapy is for the client to feel better. The point isn’t to stay in therapy for forever. Some people need therapy for just a season of life that they are in. Others may need more long-term therapy. It all really depends on your diagnosis and how you view therapy.
4) Therapists just passively sit there, listen to, judge and don’t really help
While therapists do spend a significant amount of time listening while in a sessions with clients, they do not negatively judge or ‘analyze.’ When one becomes a therapist, they learn in graduate school what are referred to as unconditional positive regard. This means that your therapist shouldn’t be judging you. Some sessions with clients can be the client mainly processing. Other sessions can be the counselor giving the client coping skills or homework to work on. The therapeutic relationship really is a give and take.
5) Just by going to therapy, one ‘gets better’
FALSE. I quickly came to realize during my first week working in this field years ago that possibly the biggest misconception surrounding therapy is that if one simply attends their appointments and talks, they will ‘get better.’ Yes, the ‘talk therapy’ aspect of therapy is important in one’s healing, but another extremely important aspect of therapy is the client taking action. My favorite clients to work with are the ones who want to get better and want to make changes in their life. If you are unwilling to change not much good can really come from therapy.
Therapist Akron, Ohio
I hope you found this blog post helpful! Please reach out to me if it seems like we could be a good fit, I am an Akron based therapist who is passionate about serving our community. I am a therapist who works primarily with young adults. I have experience helping young adults navigate the stressful college years and I very much enjoy counseling college students. I see a variety of people in my Akron, Ohio counseling office. I treat people with depression, anxiety, religious trauma and gender dysphoria. Still have questions? Get answers to common questions about counseling here or simply schedule a counseling session today to get started!