I'm writing this because over and over on this site (and other mental health sites), I've seen people saying therapy didn't work for them. Or that in general therapy doesn't work.
And yet I'm here on this Earth still because of therapy. I met and married to a man I love and we've been together over 20 years because of therapy. I was able to work for a living because of therapy. I have friends because of therapy. Don't get me wrong - therapy can't do everything. It didn't make me rich and famous or even cure my depression and anxiety. In my case I believe my depression is strongly genetic (my father had Bipolar 1) so perhaps it was foolish to think therapy could help, yet it did.
Therapy is an astonishing idea in some ways. The idea that 1 hour a week could help me with years of being abused growing up. And yet it did help. 2 years of weekly therapy in my early 20s helped me get out of a bad relationship even though I was isolated and needy. Then I met my husband and knew he was the one. Unfortunately he and and I had a gruelling time due to other circumstances (such as a head-on car accident caused by a drunk driver). We faced many, many struggles due to other things, but therapy helped with most of them.
Altogether I've seen perhaps a dozen therapists over about 5 years, and a few psychiatrists over the years. Most therapists had a Master's in Counselling Psychology or a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I've never seen a therapist with a Master's in Social Work, or a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I haven't heard great things about these other types of therapists, so I recommend either the clinical counsellors or PhDs. Always always look up your therapist's credentials and make sure they are accredited.
Yes some therapists are more "chatty" but if they aren't getting you to do exercises and giving you homework, they are probably not that great. What I've noticed over the years is that therapists now seem better than they used to be. They have more tools. They know more. I've recently talked to some therapists through work who were able to help me with particular problems in a few telephone sessions.
So no, therapy didn't "cure" me or make me perfect, but it has helped a lot. I'm sure I would not be a published writer today without therapy. Yay, Therapy!!! Don't give up just because you haven't had much luck. And do watch a few videos of Therapy in a Nutshell on YouTube. She is an accredited counsellor and the types of information in her videos are what a competent therapist should be telling you.
And yet I'm here on this Earth still because of therapy. I met and married to a man I love and we've been together over 20 years because of therapy. I was able to work for a living because of therapy. I have friends because of therapy. Don't get me wrong - therapy can't do everything. It didn't make me rich and famous or even cure my depression and anxiety. In my case I believe my depression is strongly genetic (my father had Bipolar 1) so perhaps it was foolish to think therapy could help, yet it did.
Therapy is an astonishing idea in some ways. The idea that 1 hour a week could help me with years of being abused growing up. And yet it did help. 2 years of weekly therapy in my early 20s helped me get out of a bad relationship even though I was isolated and needy. Then I met my husband and knew he was the one. Unfortunately he and and I had a gruelling time due to other circumstances (such as a head-on car accident caused by a drunk driver). We faced many, many struggles due to other things, but therapy helped with most of them.
Altogether I've seen perhaps a dozen therapists over about 5 years, and a few psychiatrists over the years. Most therapists had a Master's in Counselling Psychology or a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I've never seen a therapist with a Master's in Social Work, or a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I haven't heard great things about these other types of therapists, so I recommend either the clinical counsellors or PhDs. Always always look up your therapist's credentials and make sure they are accredited.
Yes some therapists are more "chatty" but if they aren't getting you to do exercises and giving you homework, they are probably not that great. What I've noticed over the years is that therapists now seem better than they used to be. They have more tools. They know more. I've recently talked to some therapists through work who were able to help me with particular problems in a few telephone sessions.
So no, therapy didn't "cure" me or make me perfect, but it has helped a lot. I'm sure I would not be a published writer today without therapy. Yay, Therapy!!! Don't give up just because you haven't had much luck. And do watch a few videos of Therapy in a Nutshell on YouTube. She is an accredited counsellor and the types of information in her videos are what a competent therapist should be telling you.
