Why go to Therapy? 3 Reasons to Consider Therapy

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

Why go to Therapy?

Many people consider going to therapy for a significant amount of time before they make the commitment. With the stigma that is still attached to therapy, many people ask themselves ‘why go to therapy?’ or ‘do I really need to go therapy?’ or ‘is it really bad enough to go to therapy?’. These questions make a lot of sense, but therapy isn’t just for those suffering from diagnosable mental illnesses – therapy is for everyone.

What is a psychologist?

As a registered psychologist, this is a question I get all the time. We are specialists in human behaviour. Psychologists have a doctorate in psychology, and there are two main different types of psychologists:

• Experimental psychologists, who typically do teaching or research work.
• Clinical psychologists, who specialize in the assessment and treatment of mental health conditions and disorders.
  

Psychologists are different from psychiatrists in that we have our Ph.D. and we do not prescribe medication. Where psychiatrists have an MD and specialize in psychiatry. Psychiatrists typically work with more serious mental illnesses and place a strong emphasis on treatment by medication. Whereas psychologists deliver therapy through evidence-based talk therapies.

I’m a clinical psychologist, and there are a few unique skills that clinical psychologists have. We have a broad based understanding of human behaviour; we have expertise in assessment, not only of mental health conditions but of personality, cognitive status, and learning styles; and, finally, our training has a heavy emphasis on research. So we are well positioned to review the evidence base of treatments and interventions that exist for mood-related conditions.

Should you go to therapy?

At the risk of sounding biased, I firmly believe we can all benefit from the support, perspective, and guidance of an objective, competent, and specialized professional for various issues at different points in our lives. This is true for any area of life with which we are struggling – physical health (physician), our taxes (accountant), selling a home (realtor), or our emotional health (psychologist/clinical counsellor).

Often, the problem isn’t whether or not we ‘should’ go to therapy because most, if not all, of us could benefit from therapy. The problem lies in the stigma attached to going to therapy so instead many people are asking whether or not they ‘need’ to go to therapy.
 
3 Reasons you should consider therapy

1. Therapy works. There is an amazingly strong evidence base, for a wide range of therapies for a wide range of presenting concerns. Mood conditions, anxiety-related conditions, stressors including work stress, and relationship conflict – addiction including substance use and eating-related conditions – as well as chronic pain and other physical health conditions.
2. Objective eyes. When we are going through our own difficulties and challenges, we often lose sight of the forest for the trees. Having an objective expert opinion and guidance during times when we are struggling can be very helpful.
3. Non-judgemental ears. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t wanting or willing to talk openly about all aspects of our lives to those around us. Or, we may not feel that we have anyone in our lives we can unconditionally trust. For these reasons, seeing a trained professional can really help us gain perspective and insight.

What if you already tried therapy and it didn’t work?

There are numerous reasons why you may feel as though your current therapy, or previous attempts at therapy, may not have worked. That is very real and you should listen to that feeling, but that does not mean therapy will never work for you.

Depending on what you have sought therapy for, it may take longer than you’d hoped to start seeing results. That can feel incredibly frustrating, particularly because therapy takes a significant amount of investment both in terms of time and money.

It’s also important to note that an important part of being successful in therapy is the therapeutic relationship: specifically, the relationship between you and the clinical psychologist or other practitioners. So, it’s helpful to take the time to find the right fit.

Ask others for advice or referrals, do your research online, and set up an initial consultation to see if there is a fit.

Final Thoughts

If you have been thinking about seeing a therapist, I really encourage you to take that first step starting today. Contact the Psychological Health & Safety Clinic today to start on the path to finding the right fit for you! All of our clinicians offer a complimentary brief phone consultation to see if there is a fit.