For those who have had experiences in therapy before, you may already be aware of this information. For those who have not had any experiences with therapy and are currently considering their options, here are some general descriptions of what therapy is, what therapy "looks like", and how therapy can help...
WHAT IS THERAPY?
To start, therapy is provided by a trained mental health professional and offers a safe, supportive, and confidential environment for you to discuss any problem you may be facing at this point in your life. Problems can range from mild to severe and can involve any area of life that you interact with. Some examples of interaction can include: family, friends (interpersonal), self (intrapersonal), school, work, stress and stressors, loss of a loved one, abuse (sexual/emotional/physical), victimization/bullying, etc. Therapy should always be free of judgment, objective (seeing the facts without adding harmful personal opinions), and allow you to feel unconditionally supported throughout this journey in your life. In essence, therapy is just that: a journey which you and your therapist embark on to help promote the healthiest version of yourself. Through this, you can feel comfortable sharing your inner most thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that helps the therapist guide you through the path of wellness.
Therapists act as a guide for clients throughout the therapeutic process to build up coping skills, empower/encourage personal decision making, collaborate to resolve problematic behaviours, as well as apply research or evidence based therapeutic techniques to decrease stressors and promote wellbeing.
WHAT DOES THERAPY LOOK LIKE?
Therapy can take many different forms depending on the problem you are facing and the various therapeutic styles therapists can take. In general, therapy is a very personal process that involves you discussing important issues in your life to a trained professional that is here to support and guide you through challenges. In more specific terms, therapy can take the form of individual (one-to-one support), family (2 or more family members), couple (spouses), or even group (usually 4 or more members who share a common experience/problem). Deciding what you need depends on what you are experiencing, what preferences you have (individual, group, or both formats), and any insight a therapist can offer into your unique situation.
What all therapeutic styles and formats have in common are goals; goals are there for you to decide what you need or want to work on with a therapist. Goals should be something specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time oriented. Some examples of goals can include: increasing coping skills, becoming more comfortable with anxiety provoking situations, developing better communication with family/friends, becoming more aware of emotions/emotional control (anger management), adjusting to changing life circumstances/lifestyle change, increasing self-esteem, and any other goal you may have in mind. As you can see, goals can take many forms and really depend on what you want to improve in your life to make it more meaningful.
As a side note regarding the appearance of therapy, if the working relationship you and your therapist have created just does not feel "right" (ex., you are feeling worse every time you attend a therapy session, the therapist judges you for certain decisions you have made, or if you do not agree with the therapists "style") then it makes sense to discuss this to see if the working relationship can become better, or if it is simply time to move on. You as the client are in the driver's seat within this working relationship and only you can determine whether you and the therapist are a good fit.
HOW THERAPY CAN HELP
Therapy can help you manage a variety of problems in your life and it really depends on what you are experiencing. Therapists are also skilled in treating specific mental illnesses, social, emotional, or behavioural problems, work or school-related problems, and even abuse. Depending on what you would like to attend therapy for will greatly influence whom you select as a therapist. At any rate, here are some examples of what therapy can help with:
WHAT IS THERAPY?
To start, therapy is provided by a trained mental health professional and offers a safe, supportive, and confidential environment for you to discuss any problem you may be facing at this point in your life. Problems can range from mild to severe and can involve any area of life that you interact with. Some examples of interaction can include: family, friends (interpersonal), self (intrapersonal), school, work, stress and stressors, loss of a loved one, abuse (sexual/emotional/physical), victimization/bullying, etc. Therapy should always be free of judgment, objective (seeing the facts without adding harmful personal opinions), and allow you to feel unconditionally supported throughout this journey in your life. In essence, therapy is just that: a journey which you and your therapist embark on to help promote the healthiest version of yourself. Through this, you can feel comfortable sharing your inner most thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that helps the therapist guide you through the path of wellness.
Therapists act as a guide for clients throughout the therapeutic process to build up coping skills, empower/encourage personal decision making, collaborate to resolve problematic behaviours, as well as apply research or evidence based therapeutic techniques to decrease stressors and promote wellbeing.
WHAT DOES THERAPY LOOK LIKE?
Therapy can take many different forms depending on the problem you are facing and the various therapeutic styles therapists can take. In general, therapy is a very personal process that involves you discussing important issues in your life to a trained professional that is here to support and guide you through challenges. In more specific terms, therapy can take the form of individual (one-to-one support), family (2 or more family members), couple (spouses), or even group (usually 4 or more members who share a common experience/problem). Deciding what you need depends on what you are experiencing, what preferences you have (individual, group, or both formats), and any insight a therapist can offer into your unique situation.
What all therapeutic styles and formats have in common are goals; goals are there for you to decide what you need or want to work on with a therapist. Goals should be something specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time oriented. Some examples of goals can include: increasing coping skills, becoming more comfortable with anxiety provoking situations, developing better communication with family/friends, becoming more aware of emotions/emotional control (anger management), adjusting to changing life circumstances/lifestyle change, increasing self-esteem, and any other goal you may have in mind. As you can see, goals can take many forms and really depend on what you want to improve in your life to make it more meaningful.
As a side note regarding the appearance of therapy, if the working relationship you and your therapist have created just does not feel "right" (ex., you are feeling worse every time you attend a therapy session, the therapist judges you for certain decisions you have made, or if you do not agree with the therapists "style") then it makes sense to discuss this to see if the working relationship can become better, or if it is simply time to move on. You as the client are in the driver's seat within this working relationship and only you can determine whether you and the therapist are a good fit.
HOW THERAPY CAN HELP
Therapy can help you manage a variety of problems in your life and it really depends on what you are experiencing. Therapists are also skilled in treating specific mental illnesses, social, emotional, or behavioural problems, work or school-related problems, and even abuse. Depending on what you would like to attend therapy for will greatly influence whom you select as a therapist. At any rate, here are some examples of what therapy can help with:
- Addictions/Substance Abuse
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Aging/Geriatric-Specific Problems
- Anxiety
- Anger Management
- Adult-Specific Problems
- Autism
- Bi-polar Disorder
- Bullying
- Children-Specific Problems
- Depression
- Death/Dying/Grief
- Disability
- Eating Disorders
- Education-Specific Problems
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Marriage/Divorce
- Non-suicidal self injury (cutting/burning/self-mutilation)
- Pain
- Parenting
- Personality Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Sleep
- Sexual Abuse
- Stress
- Suicide
- Teen-Specific Problems
- Trauma
- Violence
- Vocational Issues (work, career)