Understanding the Benefits of Therapy and Counselling
Talking about mental health is hard. It’s normal to feel hesitant talking about your emotions, especially with the stigma attached. People often feel embarrassed or ashamed when sharing feelings or seeking help for mental health. But seeking therapy or counselling is an incredibly brave step towards improving your emotional and mental well-being. So, let’s talk about the benefits of therapy and counselling, how it can improve mental health and how talking about therapy can help break the stigma.
Breaking the Stigma
The stigma about getting help to improve your mental health is one of the biggest barriers for individuals seeking treatment for their mental health. It’s created an environment of fear and shame, where individuals are afraid to reach out for the help they need. The first step to breaking this stigma? Understanding that your mental health is just like any other health condition, and it requires medical attention.
Benefits of Therapy and Counselling
One of the biggest benefits of seeing a therapist is that you begin to overcome the fear and shame associated with mental health disorders. There should never be shame around your feelings, emotions or seeking out help from a mental health professional. A therapist or counsellor provides a safe and supportive environment where individuals can share their thoughts and feelings without judgement. They are trained to help people explore their emotions and thoughts, and provide treatments to improve mental well-being.
Working with a therapist or counsellor can help you overcome and heal from the trauma you’ve experienced. It can help individuals to build resilience around their trauma triggers and ultimately improve their mental well-being. Mental health takes a toll. And can cause feelings of sadness, anxiousness or hopelessness. Developing healthy boundaries, coping mechanisms, and treating past trauma are all ways in which a therapist can help relieve some of the hard feelings an individual may experience.
By going to therapy and counselling, individuals can build strong, healthy relationships. Mental health disorders can put a major strain on existing and new relationships, which can lead to isolation and loneliness. Understanding your emotions and how they have an impact on relationships, can be game changing in both existing and new relationships. Therapists can work with an individual to develop effective communication skills, which are crucial for healthy relationships.
It’s Okay to Feel Scared
The benefits of therapy and counselling are numerous, but it’s important to note that seeking out help is a personal decision. It’s okay to feel scared and uncertain about meeting with a mental health professional. However, by taking the step and choosing to work with a therapist or counsellor and heal your trauma, you have the ability to majorly improve your emotional and mental well-being. Plus, you’ll be helping to break the stigma.
Therapy is Not a One-Size Fits-All Solution
We should mention, therapy and counselling is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different individuals may need different types of treatment to address their mental health concerns. Therapists and counsellors are highly trained professionals that can assess your mental health needs and develop a personalised treatment plan to meet your unique needs.
There is still a stigma surrounding mental health, and we need to break the barrier for those that have a desire to improve their mental health and seek out help from a therapist or counsellor. We all deserve to have healthy relationships, feel emotionally stable and heal our trauma.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, consider reaching out to a therapist or counsellor for help. Remember, taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.
Resources
- https://cmha.ca/mental-health-week/resources-and-stories/
- Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): https://cmha.ca/
- Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA): https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/
- Psychology Today Canada: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca