Those who have not been to a therapist will often only have a vague idea of what it means to have therapy. This is usually informed by movies and television, which portrays a very distorted version of what actually happens in therapy. Usually, the complex process of psychotherapy is reduced to a few cliches and one-liners that rarely get anywhere close to the truth.
To help you to get a clearer idea of exactly what psychotherapy is and to dispel any myths that you have we are going to debunk these misconceptions and let you get an insight into how helpful and rewarding psychotherapy has been for many people and can be for you.
1. Psychotherapists are judgemental of their patients
There is a fear that as soon as you leave the room the psychotherapist that you met with will start to think about how crazy you are and laugh behind your back. The truth is that they are a medical professional that has dedicated their life to helping people through every kind of situation you can think of.
Not only are the not judgemental about your decision to have psychotherapy, they will almost certainly have a psychotherapist that they see on a regular basis.
2. Psychotherapy is only for people with a problem
There are many reasons to go to psychotherapy, some do go because they are working through something. Others are simply looking to maintain their mental health and stop any minor anxieties from developing into something much larger. Some will even attend psychotherapy to improve themselves, just as you would by going to the gym and working on some of your muscles that you want to be stronger, psychotherapy can be a way to get a little more confident in social settings or in the workplace.
3. Psychotherapy is too expensive
While there is a cost for the services that are provided in your psychotherapy sessions, patients will see the rewards and see the real value. If you are considering psychotherapy, you should check with your insurance company as this may cover some of the initial sessions so that you can establish if this is for you or not.
4. It takes too long to see results
Unlike the movies where the main character will have a breakthrough and be perfectly well adjusted for the rest of their lives, psychotherapy does take time to be effective. It is also an ongoing process and you should not be chasing to a finish line, just improving where you can and learning more about yourself.
5. I’ll have to learn all the technical terms
The best psychotherapists will use terms to describe what you may be experiencing, these may even ber words that you haven’t heard before. They will explain in detail what they mean so that you fully understand what is being discussed. You will not be expected to learn a great deal and become an expert in psychotherapy to get the most out of your sessions.
6. Psychotherapy will make me a better person
You’re already perfect the way you are, you probably don’t realize it yet, but it really is all about perspective and how you look at the world. By speaking with a psychotherapy you will start to learn more about yourself and how you can make a few small adjustments to enjoy your life and the world around you just a little bit more.
7. They will ask invasive questions
Asking about your childhood and other times in your life is a very old school method of psychotherapy. It can help to inform on some things that you wish to talk about, but it is certainly not the jumping off point for the entire discussion that you have with your psychotherapist.
