Therapy

Medically reviewed by Melissa Guarnaccia, LCSW

Is seeing a therapist or counselor right for you?

Therapy has been growing in popularity in recent years, as evidenced by data from the National Health Interview Survey. According to this survey, the number of adults in the United States who sought help for mental health in the previous 12 months rose from 19.2% in 2019 to 21.6% in 2021. 

Therapy is a place where you can spend a dedicated amount of time talking to a mental health professional, such as a therapist or counselor. When you pursue therapy, you can talk with a psychologist, a social worker, a licensed professional counselor, or a licensed marriage and family therapist. These professionals are there to help you work through any challenges that you’re experiencing in your life, and these don’t have to be mental illnesses. People seek talk therapy for a variety of reasons, whether for life transitions, relationship challenges, or opportunities for self-improvement. No topic is off-limits in therapy sessions. It’s your time to talk with your therapist about what’s going on with you as an individual. 

Therapy can be conducted in a variety of ways, and different therapeutic practices may work better in different contexts. When you look for a therapist, you might come across professionals who practice psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which is sometimes used to treat trauma. Therapists are typically trained in numerous modalities, and if you find a therapist who doesn’t seem to be helping, it’s okay to communicate this to your therapist or simply change therapists.

A counselor can help you work on yourself

When to see a counselor

Benefits of seeing a mental health professional

When you first start seeing a therapist, the process typically involves establishing a relationship and getting to know them. You might not know where treatment is going, or you might feel like nothing is happening at first. You might feel emotionally vulnerable or even broken, but this process may lead to healing. Your first session and initial treatment experience may not be groundbreaking, but consistency is often key when it comes to effective treatment.

Everyone has challenges that they have to address in life, and a therapist is there to help you handle those challenges. When you see a therapist, you aren’t facing life alone anymore. You have a professional there to listen without judgment and offer strategies for moving forward. A therapist may help you gain insight about your emotions and challenge any inaccurate or negative thoughts you’re experiencing. Even just speaking to someone about what’s going on in your life, whether it’s family problems, anxiety, symptoms of eating disorders, or something else altogether, can reduce emotional distress and help you feel better.

Different approaches

There are many different schools of therapy. You might choose to work on changing your behavior by seeing a behavioral therapist, or maybe you want to work through trauma with a trauma-informed therapist. Different therapists may choose from several approaches, depending on what you’re experiencing and what you’d like to achieve.

Many therapies can be effective in treating a range of conditions. The following are a few common therapeutic approaches:

• Psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy may help you work through problems from your past and understand how those problems may be contributing to your present life.  
• Cognitive behavioral therapy. According to the American Psychological Association, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.” CBT may help you challenge false beliefs about yourself in order to change the way you feel and behave. 
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR is a form of therapy that is sometimes used for those who have experienced trauma. It can be an effective form of treatment to work through the pain and flashbacks that are sometimes associated with traumatic events. EMDR may help a person face traumatic life experiences and learn to let some of the pain go from these events.

Regardless of what type of therapy you require, most types are available in person or online.

Aside from individual therapy, family therapy may be another avenue to consider. In family therapy, multiple family members may attend sessions together to work through conflicts and challenges. Family therapy is often led by social workers or marriage and family therapists. As most therapists may not have clinical experience working with families, it can be important to do your research when searching for a professional to work with.

Common misconceptions

Some people believe that they don’t need a therapist and that they can solve their problems on their own. However, as resourceful and intuitive as you are, it may be helpful to have an objective person to help figure out what’s happening. The way a therapist thinks about your current situation may provide you with a new outlook. Most people can’t always be objective about their own life, but a therapist may be able to provide a dispassionate perspective that leads to insight you might not have obtained on your own.

Another misconception that some people believe is that therapy is only for people who live with a serious mental illness. Therapy is for anyone who wants to better themselves and gain emotional insight into who they are. With therapy, you may learn about tools to become more self-aware and cope with challenging emotions more skillfully. You can also use therapy as a tool to help you cope with a physical medical condition.

Finally, some people believe that therapy is for people who are self-absorbed and want to talk about themselves all the time and that it’s a place to complain. Instead, therapy is often about finding solutions to problems in your life. A therapist may help you learn how to handle life’s challenges with less emotional turmoil and a greater sense of balance.

Where to start 

You may be wondering how you can be sure that a therapist is capable of providing adequate care for your mental health concerns or other life challenges. First, you can check to make sure they have a license to work with clients and provide mental health treatment. Your therapist needs to be licensed to practice in the state where they live and where their clients live. However, many states are now part of PSYPACT and allow for interstate teletherapy. It can be important to ensure your insurance coverage extends to the particular provider you’re interested in working with as well.

You can also assess how the therapist makes you feel. If something doesn’t feel right, you have the right to change therapists. If they don’t feel like someone that you can confide in and discuss your feelings with, then they may not be right for you. Know that switching therapists is normal and that you can always do so without worrying about offending your therapist.

Questions to ask yourself

When you’re seeing a therapist, you might ask yourself a few questions to assess whether they are right for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your experience with your provider:

• Do you feel like your therapist cares?
• Does it feel like they understand you?
• Does it feel like your therapist accepts you?
• Do you feel like you can be honest with your therapist?
• Are they a good listener?
• Are they critical?
• Do you feel heard when you talk to them?

If you don’t feel comfortable with your answers to these questions, you can always switch therapists, even a couple of times, until you find the right fit.

Types of environments

There are many different types of therapy, ranging from standard talk therapy to art therapy, and some take place individually while others take place in groups. Many people choose to pursue individual therapy, which involves seeing a therapist one-on-one to talk about challenges that you experience as an individual. 

On the other hand, one of the group forms of therapy is family therapy, where you sit with a group of members from your family unit and talk about family dynamics and how you interact. Also, some people choose to participate in couples therapy to work on their romantic relationship or marriage. If you decide to try couples therapy, you and your partner may explore various communication strategies and ways to hear each other best.

In other forms of group therapy, you might be accompanied by people who experience the same or similar challenges that you have. For example, you might attend a group for a specific condition, like substance use disorder or anxiety. It’s a place where you might learn from the other members of the group as well as the facilitator.

Counselor training and educational requirements

To practice therapy, a therapist must have a degree in a mental health-related area. They typically also have to complete a certain number of supervised practice hours to obtain a license to practice on their own. Below are some different kinds of degrees a therapist might hold:

• Psychologists usually have a doctorate, either a PsyD or a PhD. 
• Social workers (many of which are LCSWs, or licensed clinical social workers) have an educational background in social work. To conduct therapy, they usually must have a master’s degree.
• Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) have a master’s degree and can practice marriage and family therapy. 
• Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs) who can prescribe medication and also conduct therapy sessions.

What to expect when seeing a mental health professional

Reasons to start going to therapy

There are many reasons to pursue therapy and many types of therapy to match those reasons. A therapist can likely help you find one that suits your needs. It may help to remember that going to therapy doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you. People see therapists every day for a number of reasons, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. 

You may be experiencing the recent loss of a loved one, or you may be going through a painful separation. You could also be experiencing chronic anxiety, and finding the right therapist could make a significant difference in your symptoms. Alternatively, you may be experiencing problematic anger, and a therapist may be able to help you understand why you get angry and how to control it. 

Another possible reason for therapy is difficulty processing trauma. You may need a safe place to go with a professional who has experience helping people heal from traumatic events. It can be hard to figure out how to cope with all of these different challenges, and sometimes you might not even realize all that you have going on until you’re sitting in therapy talking about how you feel.

How to find a counselor

One option is to try an online therapy platform, which tends to be less expensive than in-office therapy without insurance. With BetterHelp, the cost of online therapy may depend on therapist availability, your location, and your preferences, but BetterHelp subscriptions typically range from $65 to $90 per week (billed every four weeks). BetterHelp also sometimes offers financial assistance to those who qualify, so know that there are options available.

With online therapy at BetterHelp, you can communicate with a therapist in a way that’s most comfortable for you, whether by audio, videoconferencing, or live chat. Also, you can  connect with your therapist at any time via in-app messaging, and they’ll respond as soon as they can. This may prove to be helpful if you have questions or concerns in between sessions.  

Takeaway

Therapy is a personal experience, and not everyone goes into it seeking the same things. Whether you’re experiencing a mental health condition or you’re going through a difficult life transition, you may find that therapy makes a significant difference. If you don’t feel comfortable with traditional in-office therapy at this time, you may benefit from online therapy.

With BetterHelp, you can be matched with a licensed therapist who has experience helping people with similar concerns. Take the first step toward getting support through therapy and reach out to BetterHelp today.

For more information about BetterHelp:

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For a crisis hotline or additional information

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) - 1-800-656-4673
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255
• National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233
• NAMI Helpline (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - 1-800-950-6264
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) SAMHSA Facebook, SAMHSA Twitter
• Mental Health America, MHA Twitter, MHA Facebook, MHA Instagram, MHA Pinterest
• WebMD, WebMD Facebook, WebMD Twitter, WebMD Pinterest
• NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health), NIMH Facebook, NIMH Twitter, NIMH YouTube
• APA (American Psychiatric Association), APA Twitter, APA Facebook, APA LinkedIN, APA Instagram

Further reading

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• What Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?
• What Not to Say To Your Therapist: How To Make The Most Of Your Therapy Sessions 
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