How is therapy helpful?
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you."
This quote by Maya Angelou presents one of the reasons in which many people have sought mental health services: we all have stories to tell. Yet, we all keep our stories hidden out of fear of being taken advantage of, fear of vulnerability, fear of being judged or even outcasted.
Research shows that keeping these stories hidden can have emotional, psychological, and even physical impacts that leave us feeling more alone, unheard, misunderstood, and disconnected. The hidden stories can also keep your healthy, authentic self hidden.
Uncovering these stories, however, is not the only help we need in being able make progress in our lives. This is also where therapy can help. Some of the ways in which working with a professional can improve overall quality of life:
Hold a safe environment where you are able to discuss and process life challenges, worries, and trauma
Understand and explore life transitions, both expected and unexpected
Exploring generational trauma and it's impacts on self-worth and belief systems
Learn coping skills and emotional regulation techniques
Stress and anger management
Navigating gender and sexuality
Relief from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors
Relationship issues (both with intimate partners and with family members)
Gain awareness of- and explore any negative thoughts or beliefs of self
Increase self-compassion, self-kindness, and self-acceptance
Process through grief and loss (including survivor's guilt)
Addressing emotional, psychological, and physical abuse
This is not an exhaustive list of reasons why individuals seek therapy. Click on "Get Your Free Consultation" located above to inquire about any other considerations or services.
Therapy for children and adolescents
Therapy with children and adolescents can also include some of the same goals as above that professionals see with adults, however there are some special considerations with children and adolescents as they are in a different stage in life and process information differently. Oftentimes when parents bring their children or adolescents to therapy, it's because all other solutions have been exhausted and the miscommunication between a parent and child has increased resulting in more conflicts, disconnection, and stress and less understanding, closeness, connectedness, and peace.
Of course, these aren't the only reasons. Other issues seen with children and adolescents in therapy include:
Bullying (including bullying through technology)
Violence in schools
Dependency on social media
Transitioning from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood
