Five Reasons to Try Therapy for People Who Don’t “Do Therapy”
If you’re a first responder, a person in another high-stress profession, and/or new to therapy, you may not know what to expect or why to bother going to therapy.
You’ve probably developed your own mechanisms to cope with stress, which are working well enough. You also probably feel like you don’t have the time to stop and talk. But there are many reasons to take time out of your busy schedule and pursue therapy. Here are just a few:
Managing repeated traumatic exposures
Although you have likely developed methods for dealing with stressful situations, repeated exposures to trauma can have cumulative effects. If repeated trauma exposures are not managed, your old coping mechanisms may stop working. This may lead to more problematic behaviours that take a further toll on your mental and physical health. Therapy can help you break this cycle and process trauma.
Learning new coping tools
A trained professional can suggest or guide you through healthier methods for coping with stress and repeated traumatic exposures. These methods include Observed and Experiential Integration (OEI), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Integrative Approaches. You can also practice healthy coping tools in a supportive environment.
Talking about things you can’t share with others
Some situations are too difficult to share with others at work or at home. You may fear traumatizing or being judged by your colleagues, friends, or family members. And sometimes all you need to do is talk about a difficult situation in order to feel better. Therapy is a non-judgemental space to talk about these things.
Being real about how things are impacting you
To some extent, everyone masks their true feelings. How often do you give a real answer to the question, “How are you doing”? You might wear a mask in social situations for altruistic reasons; for example, if you don’t want to be a “downer” or a “burden” by being real about your feelings. Therapy is a space to get real and not worry about how your feelings and thoughts affect others.
Meeting your short-term goals or maintaining your long-term well-being
Therapy is not necessarily a lifetime commitment. You can go to therapy for a fixed number of sessions to meet your short-term goals. You may also find ongoing therapy helpful to maintain and support your emotional and psychological well-being.
Whatever the reason you’re considering therapy, you should feel good about being proactive and managing your mental health.
