What Does Therapy Even Do?
By Homura
No amount of talking will fix my situation, so why should I waste my time in therapy?
That’s a good question. If you’re struggling with a problem, inside yourself or outside yourself, clearly you want to find a solution.
Therapy (also called counseling) does use a lot of talking, but there are many different kinds of interventions therapists can use. Some help with depression and anxiety, others with anger and working through trauma. Professional counselors must use evidence-based practices (EBPs) in therapy——this means that these interventions have been shown to help a significant majority of people feel better. For some examples of EBPs and what they could help with, click here.
Yes, there are bad therapists out there. If you had one that didn’t listen, or was dismissive, mean, or unempathetic, I’m sorry. You and your past therapist might have even just been a bad fit or the approach they chose did not help you. Don’t give up——many people have life-changing experiences with therapists, or at least therapy can help bring them back to a place where they feel okay.
The goal of therapy is not to make you a “happy person”. It’s to help you return to a place of contentment, where you feel like you can function and get through the day.
If there are parts of your life situation that you can’t change, therapy can help you develop coping strategies to deal with what is distressing you. It’s like adding tools to your tool belt. Coping strategies might make you feel less bad inside, or they might give you ideas to react in a way that calms you down instead of making you feel worse. Some situations require more than just coping: If you feel like you or someone around you is in danger of harm, please call one of the hotlines here.
What if I can’t afford or access therapy?
If you go to school, you could talk to one of the counselors there. Your school counselors might be able to connect you with lower-cost counselors or ones that work on a “sliding scale” (you only pay what you can). There are also online options: Verywellmind compares many of the top online therapy companies and what they’re best at in an article here.
Source: Verywellmind
Counselors can also connect you with resources outside of therapy that can help you deal with life situations. You might be dealing with stresses related to bullying, schoolwork, not having enough food, discrimination, citizenship, employment, or abuse or neglect of you or a family member——there are places that can help with all of those. Some national resources are here. You can also do an online search for resources at your state or community level.
If nothing else, remember that D2L, the 988 hotline, and other hotlines are free, anonymous, and available 24/7.
