5 Myths About Therapy…
…and Helpful Tips on Where to Start
There are a lot of myths about therapy that need to be debunked. Sometimes people avoid starting therapy because they think that once they start, they’ll be in therapy forever or that they’ll be stuck with a therapist they don’t like. People worry about how much therapy costs. They think it’s a luxury. Some people are afraid that their therapist won’t be approachable. Many think that therapy won’t help them.
The truth about therapy is that all of these things are myths. At Fleurish Psychotherapy, we strive to make therapy as accessible to our clients as possible. We put you first. The most important thing to us is that you have agency over your treatment. We’re not here to tell you what to do. We’re here to walk with you on your journey towards mental well-being.
If myths keep people from accessing the counseling services they need, then we’re here to debunk them! We’ve examined 5 myths about therapy to shed some light on the actual facts about therapy:
You’re Stuck With Your Therapist
The therapeutic relationship is one of the most important parts of therapy. You may not find the right therapist on the first try, or even on the second or third. Sometimes people click right away. Others take a longer time to find a good rhythm. There are times when it’s just not the right fit.
It’s absolutely possible to see a different therapist. We want you to get the most out of your treatment. If that means switching to a different therapist, we’ll support you in doing so. If your therapist isn’t the right fit, we’ll find you someone within the practice who is. Fleurish Psychotherapy has plenty of qualified, approachable therapists.
If you can’t find a good fit in our practice, we’ll refer you elsewhere. It’s more important to us that you get the best mental health care possible. If that means finding a therapist in a different practice, that’s ok.
It’s also ok to not like your therapist. One of the myths about therapy is that you have stick it out even if you don’t like your therapist. But that’s not true. If you don’t like your therapist, or just don’t click with them, then it’s time to find someone who you vibe with.
On our website’s homepage, there is a therapist matcher quiz that will help you find the right fit within our practice. And if we don’t have someone who is the right fit for you, we have a strong referral network to help match you with the right person.
2. You’ll Be In Therapy Forever
This is a common myth about therapy. Many people worry that therapy is a life-long process. And while it can be, your journey through therapy can look a lot of different ways. It all depends on your needs and goals.
Some people go through intense therapy for three months while they’re in crisis and then feel ready to move on. Others will be in therapy for a year or two, maybe more. People often leave when they’re stable and then come back when things change.
The fact about therapy is that you should attend for as long as it serves you. We recommend a minimum of three sessions. This is because the first session is usually an intake and more formal than other sessions. It also takes time to get to know your therapist and for them to get to know you.
We usually start off seeing people on a weekly basis. Sometimes if a person is in crisis they might come multiple times a week and then wean off of that once they begin to stabilize. Others go to therapy to maintain their mental well-being. Some people see us on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, depending on how frequently they and their therapist feel they need to be seen.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how long you’ll be in therapy. You should speak to your therapist about what’s appropriate for you. The frequency of sessions and length of time you’ll be in therapy depends on your individual mental health needs.
3. Therapists Are Stiff and Aren’t Approachable
At Fleurish Psychotherapy our therapists are human beings first. We’re people just like you. We believe in being authentic and real with our clients. We strive to be approachable and relatable. There are times where we may disclose something about ourselves if it serves the therapeutic relationship. What you won’t find is a person sitting across from you with a blank stare and a cool demeanor writing notes and expecting you to spill your guts while they sit silently.
Because we’re humans first, self-disclosure is an important part of our practice. We make sure we share only appropriate information with our clients. This is because we want you to feel comfortable and understood.
There is a type of therapy that some of our therapists practice called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). In DBT, therapists often use examples from their lives to help clients understand the skills being taught. This models for our clients that it’s normal to have emotions. You also can see how your therapist uses skills in their daily lives.
We’ve had clients tell us that they appreciate when we tell them *we* also had to self-soothe in college. A client once said to one of our therapists: “You aren’t like my last therapist who was really quiet.” Our clients appreciate that we talk *with* them. We don’t sit there stoically and expect you to pour your heart out while we say nothing. We’re in this together.
4. Therapy Is a Luxury
One major myth about therapy that needs to be debunked is that therapy is a luxury. Luxury implies that you’re spending money on yourself in a way that you shouldn’t be in order to stick to your budget. Mental health is something you *should* spend money on.
Your mental wellness or addressing a clinical diagnosis is just as important as attending to your physical health. Prioritizing your mental health isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. You wouldn’t skimp on healthcare if you had diabetes. You’d go to your doctor, take your insulin, and manage your condition. It’s the same with mental health.
It’s true that therapy can be expensive. At our practice, we take insurance and have a sliding scale policy. We want to help make therapy accessible to everyone, which means making it affordable. If you prioritize your mental health, we can help you find room in your budget for therapy.
If our practice is too expensive for you (which for some, it still will be), there are other options. Some online platforms offer either pro bono or sliding scale options. There are also community service boards or clinics that offer low-fee therapy with therapists in training. As you can see, there are plenty of options to find good, affordable mental health care.
5. Therapy Won’t Help Me
A lot of people think that they don’t need therapy because it’s “just talking.” You may wonder how going to therapy is different than talking to a friend. While talking to your friends about your struggles is helpful and healthy, it shouldn’t take the place of therapy.
Here you’ll work with a trained therapist, counselor, or psychologist to process the challenges that brought you to therapy. Some people worry that their symptoms aren’t “bad enough” to attend therapy. There’s no such thing as not suffering “enough” to come to therapy. Therapy is for everyone, not just people with a diagnosis.
Sometimes having a person who is unbiased and trained in psychotherapy to listen to you is enough. Other times you need tools and coping skills that your friends can’t give you. Therapy can be preventative. It’s a way of maintaining your mental health before a crisis occurs. Therapy helps you learn tools to manage stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression.
You can come to therapy when things are rough, but you can also come when things are pretty stable, and you want to do personal growth work. Sometimes you may not even know why you’re there. We’ll help you figure it out!
A lot of people think they need to come to a therapy session with an agenda or a specific problem. Often when you don’t come with things prepared, interesting and fruitful things unfold. We give them the space to be there. We sit with you through the discomfort.
Learning The Facts About Therapy
If any of those myths about therapy have been keeping you from getting started, it might be time to try a therapy session to see what it’s all about. We offer free 15-minute consultations to get you started, so book a call to find out if Fleurish Psychotherapy in Decatur, GA is the right fit for you. We may be able to help debunk any other myths you might have about therapy and help you get started on a path towards mental well-being.
Learn more about our therapists here.
