Why You Might Find Yourself Saying "I Love Therapy"

Therapy, sometimes known as psychotherapy or talk therapy, usually entails working with a mental health professional to manage specific concerns. You might be thinking about therapy, recently started it, or have a few years of it under your belt. Working with a therapist may help open doors to effective coping skills and meaningful change in your life.

Although therapy may be uncomfortable at first, you may find yourself saying, “I love therapy” over time. Continue reading to learn about the process of therapy and its potential benefits for your mental health and overall life. 

I love therapy: Changing your perspective on therapy

Therapy can be a useful and transformative part of life. If you’re facing emotional, mental, or relationship challenges, therapy can provide a safe space to find healing. It may also help you more deeply understand and love yourself.

When starting therapy, you might find it difficult to express your thoughts or emotions. You might even find that therapy feels uncomfortable. However, therapy is not just about talking through concerns but also about building a trusting relationship with a therapist. Many mental health professionals work on connecting with their clients to help them gain a sense of agency and reinforce that they are experts in their own lives.

After some time, you may change your perspective on therapy.

The advantages of therapy

Therapy isn’t just for times of crisis. It may also help with everyday challenges as well. Here are some key advantages or benefits of therapy:

Working through grief and trauma

Grief and trauma can be heavy challenges to carry. Therapy or counseling services can provide a supportive place to discuss difficult emotions and start healing. 

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For instance, after losing a loved one, you may feel upset, angry, and confused. A therapist could help you process your feelings, cherish the time you spent with them, and ultimately come to terms with the loss. A therapist can also help you navigate complex relationships, including situations like marriage, divorce, or abuse. 

Improved life satisfaction and overall mental health

Therapy sessions may also help improve your general well-being. Over the course of therapy, you might notice improved mood and sleep, as well as a renewed enjoyment of hobbies. As a result, therapy may help increase life satisfaction and improve overall mental health. You may even notice that you fall in love with yourself more deeply. 

Self-awareness and self-esteem

Therapy can also be a tool for self-discovery. It might help you better understand your feelings and reactions to various situations. 

For example, you may tend to feel nervous before presentations at work or school. Therapy could help you realize you may be concerned about criticism, leading you to work on your self-esteem and feel more confident.

Coping skills and stress management

Therapy may equip you with various ways to manage stress. Say you’re a new parent who is feeling frazzled while juggling baby care, work, and household tasks, living in a city like San Francisco, San Diego, or New York City where life is busy and work is intense. In therapy, you might learn relaxation techniques, how to delegate tasks, or how to manage your time better, which may help your life become more manageable.

Developing healthy relationships and communication

Whether it's with our family, friends, or partners, getting along and maintaining healthy relationships can be difficult. Therapy can help us spot habits that aren't helping us and teach us useful ways to talk, express our feelings, and feel loved. 

For instance, you may have a hard time setting boundaries or expressing your needs clearly. A therapist can give you tools to manage these situations, making your relationships stronger and more fulfilling.

These are just a few ways therapy can be beneficial. As you go through therapy, you might discover other benefits that go beyond the examples given here. 

A journey to self-discovery: The therapeutic process

The therapeutic process is a journey toward self-discovery that can include many moving parts, such as confronting your perspectives and acknowledging your wrongs. Depending on your needs, goals, and preferences, you might work in different ways with your therapist. Your therapist might use different techniques and approaches to help you reach your treatment goals. 

Therapists may use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help identify and change unhelpful thought patterns or behaviors. You might then learn to replace these thoughts and behaviors with positive ones. 

Other types of therapy might include dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy. 

Therapy may also be conducted in different settings. For example, you might opt for individual, couples, or family therapy, depending on the type of support you need. A therapist may also give homework and exercises for you to learn how to empower yourself and manage problems effectively. 

Studies have shown that therapy can change the structure of your brain. This process, known as "neuroplasticity," means therapy may remodel your brain to better manage stress and improve emotional maturity and health.

Applying lessons from therapy throughout life

Therapy can teach valuable lessons that can be applied throughout your life. You may learn to effectively put new skills into practice in your relationships, friendships, and personal well-being. 

One such lesson may be learning how to focus on personal growth. You can learn to set attainable goals and work toward them through self-awareness and understanding your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, therapy might help you better understand various attachments or reactions you experience within relationships and friendships. 

Why your therapist matters

The effectiveness of therapy doesn't solely rest on the therapist's skills. The relationship and rapport you build with your therapist, also known as the therapeutic alliance, is important in promoting the success of therapy. 

As a result, choosing the right therapist may have a significant impact on how you feel about therapy and what you get out of it. 

For instance, your therapist's ability to listen and empathize may affect how you perceive and experience the world around you. In addition, the right therapist may assist you with recognizing your blind spots, analyzing your feelings, and learning healthy coping skills. 

To get the results you’re seeking, you may want to carefully consider the background of your therapist and take the time to find the right fit. If you’re assessing multiple therapists within a practice, it can be helpful to meet the team to get a sense for who you may prefer to work with. 

Choosing the right format for therapy

Online therapy can be a convenient way to receive mental health support. It may be particularly effective for certain conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and stress management. That’s because online therapy can allow you to seek help from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. Additionally, online therapy platforms can provide the ability to match with a new therapist at any time to find the one that best suits your needs.

A 2018 study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders found that online cognitive behavioral therapy is "effective, acceptable, and practical health care." This study highlights the potential benefits of online therapy and shows that it can be a viable option for those seeking mental health support.

An online platform that offers therapeutic services is BetterHelp. This platform can match users with licensed therapists who may help support people in various areas, such as depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. BetterHelp's services are available for adults, and the platform may be a versatile option for a wide range of needs.