Lately I have been hearing a lot of personal opinions about therapy. About 40% of Americans have received some sort of psychotherapy counseling and another 36% of Americans say they are open to counseling. Therapy is something nobody should be ashamed of, and I think it is a great thing to take advantage of if you can. And although there are a lot of pros about therapy, there are some cons too.
Pros of therapy:
-A therapist will have extensive training on how to care for you and to help you in your situation.
-Boundaries: In therapy boundaries are set in place where the session is focused on the client and their needs.
-Confidentiality: Therapists are obligated to keep client information safe, meaning that it is illegal for therapists to share information about their client. This being said, everything you say in therapy is confidential. If your therapist breaks this law they are at risk of losing their license. Although there are exceptions to this, which will be discussed between you and your therapist.
-Therapists are non-judgemental: Therapy gives you a safe space to talk about how you are feeling with someone. So therapists will always be judgment free.
-Less risk: Trusting a friend with certain information can be risky. With a therapist the risk is significantly lower.
Cons of therapy:
-It can be expensive: Health care is one of the most expensive services in the world. With how expensive it is, it's hard for anybody to accept any kind of health care. Sadly this also involves therapy as well.
-Don't know your therapist before talking to them: A common issue in society today is trust issues. A lot of people don't go to therapy because they don't know their therapist before your first appointment, so it's almost like talking to a stranger. Most people don't feel comfortable opening up to someone they don't know. Most people would rather talk to their friends, but sometimes this isn't always the best thing to do.
-Uncertain about how your relationship will go with them: It can take days, months, or even years to find a therapist that you connect with. Finding a therapist can be a really stressful situation for some people, and a lot of the time people don't want to take the time to build a relationship with them.
-Takes time: There isn't a set duration on how long it takes to resolve issues or problems. Everyone is different and sometimes people will only be in therapy for a couple months, while others years.
-Its a more formal setting: This could be both good and bad, some people like the formal setting while others don't. Everyone is different and it just depends on what you want and need. But formal settings can also set boundaries.
Overall, there are some bad things about therapy, while there are also some amazing things about therapy. There are pros and cons to everything, right? It just depends on what works best for you, and what you need to do to get the help you want and deserve.
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