Ways therapy can help
If you’ve never been to therapy before, it can seem a little mysterious. You might be wondering what exactly therapy is for — why people go, if your problems are “big enough,” for therapy, or what the point of talking to a therapist is.
The truth is that anyone can benefit from therapy, no matter how “big” or “small” their problems or emotions feel. It’s a form of self-care that can change your life for the better.
How can therapy help with anxiety and stress?
On top of coping with “normal” stress, some people struggle with anxiety disorders. These are some of the most common mental health conditions, affecting more than 40 million US adults. Anxiety disorders include (but are not limited to) generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias.
In therapy, a licensed mental health professional can help you understand the root cause of your anxiety, and what thoughts, behaviors, or situations contribute to your symptoms.
You’ll learn coping strategies and techniques to manage anxiety — not just in the moment, but over time, so anxiety has less of an impact on your life. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is one of the most common anxiety therapies, but depending on your specific symptoms, a therapist might also use acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), or exposure therapy.
Does therapy treat depression?
In many cases of depression, a person may appear to be doing well as they fulfill their roles and obligations, such as work, relationships, and parenting. But getting through each day may feel incredibly challenging, like trudging through mud.
In most cases, therapy is an effective treatment for depression. In therapy for depression, a licensed mental health professional will develop a personalized treatment plan that’s focused on improving your symptoms. There are a variety of therapeutic modalities that can help with depression.
Through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you can learn to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that contribute to symptoms of depression. With interpersonal therapy (IPT), the focus is on helping you improve communication skills, enhance your support network, and learn to develop realistic expectations when coping with situations that contribute to depressive symptoms.
A therapist can also help determine if you could benefit from medication (and refer you to a prescribing physician or psychiatrist), and address urgent needs such as a mental health crisis, self-harm, or suicidal ideation.
How is therapy used to treat trauma or PTSD?
Traumatic events can range from “big T” events like car accidents, war combat, or sexual assault to “little t” trauma such as bullying or legal problems. Any kind of trauma can lead to detrimental effects on physical and mental health, such as flashbacks, difficulty relaxing, trouble feeling positive emotions, and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Trauma-informed therapy can facilitate healing by helping people process their trauma and live life more fully. In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-specific therapies that are effective include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), prolonged exposure therapy (PE), and somatic therapy. Members of marginalized communities who suffer from race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) might choose to opt for a therapist with a similar background to ensure their experiences are fully understood.
Can therapy help with grief and loss?
Coping with the loss of a loved one is never easy. Even non-death-related losses — like breakups, divorces, or other major life changes — can result in grief. Grief counseling offers emotional support while helping to rebuild a sense of purpose and healing after loss.
This kind of therapy focuses on allowing the client to process the thoughts and emotions that may arise after experiencing a loss. Sessions include education about the stages of grief, identifying thoughts that get in the way of processing the bereavement, and helping the client move forward after having experienced loss in their life.
Is therapy effective at treating addiction or substance abuse?
Addiction, substance misuse, and behavioral addictions (gambling, pornography) can wreak havoc on mental health and personal relationships, creating problems in all aspects of life. Therapy can help you improve impulse control, build healthy habits, identify underlying causes for your addiction or substance abuse, and create relapse prevention strategies. Some therapy approaches are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and group therapy.
Can therapy help with personal growth and self-discovery?
Even if you don’t have a mental health condition or specific symptoms you struggle with, you can still benefit from therapy. Many people engage with therapy as a tool to get to know themselves better, identify goals and purpose in life, build emotional intelligence, and improve overall well-being. A mental health professional can help you:
- Enhance self-awareness
- Explore your values and beliefs
- Clarify life goals (career, personal, family, and more)
- Find personal fulfillment
- Regularly practice self-care
- Build self-esteem
Can therapy help me break unhealthy patterns?
Sometimes, there are things we want to change in life, but we struggle to put our finger on what they are or why we’re craving change. In some cases, people are very aware of their unhealthy patterns — such as people-pleasing, defensiveness, or participation in toxic relationships — but don’t know how to break them.
No matter the type of pattern or behavior you want to break, therapy can help. A therapist can help you identify your unhealthy patterns, teach you how to shift harmful thinking and negative self-talk with CBT, and help you learn techniques to challenge unhelpful beliefs and create more positive ones.
You can also explore how experiences earlier in life contribute to unhealthy patterns, build tools for building healthier mental habits, and controlling impulses to avoid falling into unhealthy patterns.
Can therapy help with personal relationships?
No matter what relationship or relationships you’re struggling with, therapy can help you form healthier ones. Depending on your unique situation, you can try individual therapy, couples therapy, or even family therapy. Regardless, a therapist can help you improve communication skills, learn healthy conflict resolution skills, build empathy, and improve intimacy. Through therapy, you can also identify patterns in relationships you may not have otherwise seen or been able to address.
How does therapy help with loneliness and isolation?
Loneliness is extremely common, with one in ten US adults reporting that they feel lonely every day. Signs of loneliness include sadness, depressed mood, a feeling of disconnection or distance from others, and isolation. It’s important to address these feelings since social isolation and feeling lonely are risk factors for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and substance abuse.
Feeling heard and understood by a therapist can reduce your sense of isolation. They can help you develop strategies to reduce social isolation and loneliness. Plus, you can address symptoms of any mental health conditions that might have arisen due to loneliness.