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5 Myths About Therapy

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Misconceptions in Counseling

5 Common Myths

 

5 Common myths in therapy

1. Counselors have it all together.

It’s common to assume that when you’re seeking professional guidance from a counselor, they have it all figured out; But counselors are human first and helping professionals second. Most counselors go to therapy in order to provide the best care for their patients and to continue to work on themselves and their emotional care. Your counselor isn’t immune to life issues, and actually, it’s your counselor’s own experiences in struggling that has equipped them to be able to help you.

 

2. Therapy is a place where i can be told exactly what’s wrong with me and what to do to fix it.

YOU are the expert of your life. Therapists won’t tell you “what’s wrong” with you, put you in a box, or tell you exactly how to “fix” your issue(s). Instead, counselors will provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can go to explore and process your experiences and emotions. Most therapists focus on working together with their clients to recognize emotional patterns and work on finding tools to help clients move through life happier and healthier.

 

3. Therapy is a quick fix.

We get it, when we experience distress we want a quick solution to make the hurting stop. Therapy doesn’t work like that. Solutions don’t come easy. Healing takes time and that can be hard for people who are looking at therapy as a quick fix. The misconception that a couple sessions in therapy will “fix” us, is a big part of the reason that some people decide to rule out therapy all together. Therapy is tough, it might trigger us, or tap into emotions we might not want to feel, but this is normal and expected. Therapy is a tool in the journey to healing, not a bandaid.

 

4. Therapy is for white people.

This is a common misconception in a lot of non-white communities. This is for a few reasons. First, we must acknowledge the history and current presence of racial oppression and marginalization in our majority white country. This, along with white people making up nearly 84% of the psychology workforce, and Black people making up only 5% helps to explain why many people of color are mistrustful of going to therapy or might fear a lack of cultural understanding by their therapist. That’s why it’s important to connect with a therapist who actively seeks anti-racism training and knowledge to help all clients feel safe and validated. And yes, there are plenty of us out there! Everyone deserves access to speak to a professional and a safe space to navigate through life issues. For anti-racism resources and a list of accessible therapy resources click here.

 

5. You have to be “crazy” to go to therapy.

First, no one is crazy. We are all trying to move through this life the best way we can with the knowledge that we have right now. We all have traumas, needs, and hard experiences, and that is what makes us qualified to go to therapy. You can go to therapy for: A breakup, a bad roommate, constant criticism from your mom. You can also go to therapy for: A miscarriage, sexual trauma, the death of a loved on. These are all reasons to go to therapy. You can even go to therapy for general emotional upkeep!

 

Therapists aren’t:

  • Going to judge you.

  • Going to tell you “what’s wrong” with you.

  • Going to tell you what to to do.

  • Pathologize or label you.

 

Therapists are:

  • Going to help guide you in your journey to self-compassion and healing.

  • Going to help you process and navigate through tough topics and traumas.

  • Focused on providing safe, nonjudgmental spaces.

  • Real humans with real experiences.

 

We all deserve to feel good. We deserve peace, joy, and the permission to be vulnerable. You have the power to work to heal, therapy is a safe place to do it.

Click here for 8 questions you’ve always wanted to ask a therapist. And here to schedule an appointment with us.

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