50 Therapy Quotes

Whether you are a therapist in your early professional years, are a veteran therapist, are attending therapy, are studying to become a therapist, or are helping teach others to become therapists, therapy can be a rewarding field to be involved in. The mental health world is vast and ever-changing, and as with anything in life, it can be challenging. To help combat this, we have devised a list of positive reinforcement quotes and therapy-related quotes to encourage you and practice self-reflection on your life so far. Some quotes are light-hearted and full of hope, some are deep inspirational philosophy quotes, and some have to do with personal growth in life more than therapy but still apply to a woman or man’s search to improve their mental health.

How a therapy quote can help you

Inspirational “therapy” in the form of inspirational therapy quotes can be helpful for those who just need a shoulder to “lean on” in these difficult times. The quotes range from existential psychotherapy practices to how to live a more effective life. 

These quotes can help people to determine what the best form of support is for their current stage of personal growth, whether that looks like different types of therapy, group therapy, or 1:1 support from a therapist (as you might find helps for those living with post-traumatic stress disorder; or any other condition that requires support to treat or cure.

Therapy quotes about culture

Therapy has been compared to everything from a well-composed piece of music to a nourishing meal. The following quotes help illustrate the potential healing effects of art.

The arts

1. "Scribbling things down is my therapy. I filter later.” – Natascha McElhone

2. "There are a variety of techniques to help people change the kind of thinking that leads them to become depressed. These techniques are called cognitive behavioral therapy." – Irving Kirsch

3. "…comedy acts as my therapy. I put my problems out there. I talk about them. I talk about everything before anybody has a chance." – Kevin Hart

4. "Words of comfort, skillfully administered, are the oldest therapy known to man." – Louis Nizer

5. “I found that with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone. You’re not the first to go through it; you’re not going to be the last to go through it.” - Dwayne Johnson 

6. “When we’re able to share with someone who we do feel safe with, we can realize that these things that are happening to us don’t make us unlovable and aren’t anything to have as a huge secret and don’t make our future dark and dreary. Actually, we have a really gorgeous future, and we deserve love and safety.” – Johnathan van Ness

7. "Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic, and fear which is inherent in a human situation." – Graham Greene

8. “You are the one thing in this world, above all other things, that you must never give up on.” -Lili Reinhart

9. "Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heartstrings. It acts as medicine." – Macklemore

10. “I just started seeing a therapist, and I’m super stoked about it.” - Camila Mendes

11. “Sadly, too often, the stigma around mental health prevents people who need help from seeking it. But that simply doesn’t make any sense. Whether an illness affects your heart, your arm, or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there shouldn’t be any distinction. We should make it clear that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness.” - Michelle Obama

12. “Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.”  - Marshall Rosenberg 

Food

13. “I still love football, though, and I think cooking is like football. It’s not a job, it’s a passion. When you become good at it, it’s a dream job, and financially you need never to worry. Ever.” -Gordon Ramsay

14. “Food is a lot of people’s therapy- when we say comfort food, we really mean that. It’s releasing dopamine and serotonin in your brain that makes you feel good.” -Brett Hoebel

15. “Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” -Harriet van Horne

16. "Food is a lot of people's therapy – when we say comfort food, we really mean that. It's releasing dopamine and serotonin in your brain that makes you feel good." – Brett Hoebel

About sports

Exercise has been shown to have several mental health benefits, so it makes sense that many view physical activity as a form of therapy. 

17. "Massage therapy has been shown to relieve depression, especially in people who have chronic fatigue syndrome; other studies also suggest benefit for other populations." – Andrew Weil

18. "A strange, terrific force unlike anything I've ever experienced is sprouting in my heart, taking root there, growing. Shut up behind my rib cage, my warm heart expands and contracts independent of my will--over and over.” – Haruki Murakami

19. “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says, ‘I’m possible!’” -Audrey Hepburn

20. "Therapy's like going to the gym." – Chris Pine

21. "To me, wrestling is therapy. No matter how bad my personal situation is, when I step into the ring, all my troubles disappear. My baggage stays in the back where it belongs." – Eddie Guerrero

About work and love

If your job and relationship loom large in your life, the following quotes may resonate with you.

Work

22. “People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.” - Simon Sinek

23. "Cleaning is therapy for me. I'm not ashamed of holding the duster or broom." -Amisha Patel

24. "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -Henry David Thoreau

Relationships

25. "The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love." – Hubert Humphrey.

26. “Great marriages aren’t about clear communication-they’re about small moments of attachment and intimacy.” -Dr. John Gottman

27. “In my early professional years I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?” –Carl Rogers

About mental health

When most people talk about therapy, they mention its ability to foster mental wellness. The below quotes touch on mental health-related topics.

General counseling quotes 

28. "In therapy, I see myself in the mirror differently." – Ricky Williams

29. “Meditation is something I’ve always been interested in. It always has felt a little mysterious and out of my reach. Right after Black Panther came out, the day after the Oscars, I went on a ten-day silent retreat. It was a gift.” -
Lupita Nyong’o

30. "I didn't learn about depression or anxiety at school. So when I had to go to my parents to say 'I need help, I need to go to therapy,' I felt like this weird, messed up kid. And I wasn't . . . . " Lili Reinhart

31. “Talking to somebody just helped me out a lot. As a man, you get a lot of slack for it. I don’t really subscribe to that. Everyone needs to unpack and talk.” -Michael Jordan

32. “You do better in the gym with a trainer, you don’t figure out how to cook without reading a recipe; Therapy is not something to be embarrassed about.” -Kristen Bell

33. "My therapy has come from paying attention to my life." – Oprah Winfrey

34. “Therapy has really helped me. It allows me to process and regulate what is coming in because I can easily get overwhelmed by all the different elements coming at me.” –Jessica Williams

35. "I used to be pretty hard on myself, like, if I didn't like a haircut I did on someone, I would think about it a lot and second-guess myself. But after therapy and a lot of work, I know how to dust myself off a lot faster, and those things don't knock me down as much as they used to." – Jonathan Van Ness

36. "If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be." -- Maya Angelou

37. I'm on a constant path of self-discovery and change. I'm trying to become a better person, a nicer person. I love therapy – it's brilliant." – Julia Sawalha

38. "The problem is, I don't think I've got too much to offer at the minute. I'm busy working on myself. This sounds like real therapy talk, but it's like, you've got to be happy with yourself before you can go out and get yourself a girl." – Robbie Williams

39. “Therapy is something everyone should try. I think that whether you have a mental health condition or not, it’s good to talk to somebody, especially someone who is a licensed professional.” -Demi Lovato

Are 52 therapy quotes enough to motivate you?

Discover the answer with a therapist

Mental health challenges

40. "The wilderness is healing, a therapy for the soul." – Nicholas Kristof

41. "Sometimes it takes dealing with a disability – the trauma, the relearning, the months of rehabilitation therapy – to uncover our true abilities and how we can put them to work for us in ways we may have never imagined." -Tammy Duckworth

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

42. "Think of your head as an unsafe neighborhood; don't go there alone.” ― Augusten Burroughs

43. I take a low dose of lithium nightly. I take an antidepressant for my darkness because prayer isn't enough. My therapist hears confession twice a month, my shrink delivers the host, and I can stand in the woods and see the world spark." ― David Lovelace

44. "Shopping at any level is a bit of therapy for my medulla oblongata." – Theophilus London

45. "If you are not happy with something, you should change it. So I went to a lot of therapy, and finally, I am able to speak up for myself: You are going to hear me roar!" – Katy Perry

46. "The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way you look at things – your perceptions, mental attitudes, and beliefs. It includes the way you interpret things – what you say about something or someone to yourself." – David D. Burns

About therapeutic modalities

Therapy can come in a variety of forms. Quotes about therapeutic modalities provide insights into the technical aspects of psychotherapy.

47. "I believe that a different therapy must be constructed for each patient because each has a unique story." – Irvin D. Yalom

48. "Cognitive therapy is based on the idea that when you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel and behave. In other words, if we can learn to think about other people in a more positive and realistic way, it will be far easier to resolve conflicts and develop rewarding personal and professional relationships." – David D. Burns

49. "Therapy and counseling can do wonderful things for people. But they have emerged so far as what are sometimes called 'cottage industries' – that is, as individuals or small groups offering generally quite expensive services to a few clients." – Alain de Botton

50. "You have considerable power to construct self-helping thoughts, feelings and actions as well as to construct self-defeating behaviors. You have the ability, if you use it, to choose healthy instead of unhealthy thinking, feeling and acting." - Albert Ellis

How talking to a therapist can help you

If you are interested in individual or group therapy or have questions about mental health in general, you don’t have to face them alone or feel like you have all the answers. If you don’t like the idea of going to see a therapist, you might try online therapy—which can provide a relationship with a therapist that you can participate with from the comfort of your own home. 

An online therapist can help you develop your own therapy quotes

With online therapy, you only need an internet connection and a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Without being limited to just those therapists operating in your area, you can be matched with a counselor experienced in whatever mental health concerns you’re facing. With online therapy through BetterHelp, you'll have the opportunity to work with one of thousands of qualified professionals without going to the therapist’s office, which may be particularly helpful for individuals with children. 

Online therapy takes your whole life into account and provides you the opportunity to schedule sessions around school or work. You will also have the opportunity to reach out to your licensed therapist any time of day via in-app messaging. You can send a message at any time, and they will get back to you as soon as they can providing you with the best therapy for your particular needs. 

What the research says about the effects of online therapy

Research shows that therapy coaching via online therapy creates as many, if not more, beneficial effects as in-person therapy in forming a positive relationship between therapist and patient. In a study published in BioMed Central-Psychiatry, researchers found that internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) significantly reduced symptoms related to trauma in patients and helped foster a strong bond between the therapist and patient. Specifically, participants reported strong feelings of trust between their therapists and themselves. This type of solid therapeutic alliance can be a major factor in the efficacy of treatment, pointing to online therapy as an effective alternative to traditional in-person counseling.