Therapy – What is it and why do I need to know about it?

January 15, 2024 Written by: Kelly Langston, M.A., LPC

What is therapy?

My first reaction when people ask me this question is that it is impossible to give a simple answer. 

There are about 200,000 actively practicing therapists in the US and each one has a different approach to answering this question. The short answer is therapy consists of methods of treatment that work to help a person understand and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. To me, that definition leaves out one of the most important parts which is to find someone that you click with and feel comfortable with. Their feedback and techniques need to resonate with you, or you might start to think therapy is a waste of time. 

Sometimes it takes time to find the right fit, but we can pick up bits and pieces along the way that we can use to help us. Therapy is a safe place to explore solutions and gain skills that we need to move through everyday life. Therapy can be long term or short term. It can also be revisited multiple times in y life, because we never know what we will experience and how that will affect us and our emotional wellbeing. 

Why do I need to know about therapy?

There is a myth out there that only people in severe crisis or crying all the time need to seek therapy. Or that there has to be something “wrong” in order to reach out for help. That is simply not the case. Everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist. 

Many people are hesitant to seek therapy when they begin to have difficulty with their mindset or emotional control. It may seem like we are just talking to someone about our problems and start to think how could that possibly be effective. But, through scientific advances, therapy has been proven to reverse some of the changes that happen to the brain when we experience certain life events. Therapy can help us alter our mindset and start to challenge ourselves in several areas of life. 

If you have questions or want to give therapy a try, reach out to us and schedule a session today.