There is a common misconception that therapy is only meant for the ill, the fragile, people who are actively in crisis or surviving trauma. And, yes, there is some truth to that, but why can’t therapy be for right now, for when we are idling through life or rolling through on cruise control or even when our lives are embodied by joy.
Can therapy not be a regular practice?
Therapy should be part of our meaningful self-care rituals, beyond the superficial quick-fix self-care of spa days and shopping expenses.
We go to the gym or exercise to to keep our hearts, limbs and bodies healthy. We go to the dentist for regular teeth cleaning and access the doctor when we suspect there could be something wrong, yet there is such a negative association with going to therapy, to talking it out and checking in for our emotional health.
Not every therapist has a couch for you to lay on, some do, and so what if they do, lay down or just take a seat. Not all therapists are the same; not all will suit each individual. And, not all therapists eagerly await to use their stale scholarly personality to psychoanalyze the crap out of your life. Most therapists do have real personalities these days, with academic and real lived experiences that you can relate to. Remember, this is reality, not Hollywood and often the pictures and stories illustrated by others, are not accurate nor do they apply to our own stories.
There is an awful misconception that therapy is for the faint, but I think that it takes an abundance of courage to even search the name of a therapist, let alone to walk through the door and take your seat.
It only takes courage because we have been taught to see the need for therapy as a negative, that to show up in our authentic state of being is the epitome of human vulnerability and to admit that to anyone outside of our own minds is to just shatter any sense of hope, status, viability, independence or accomplishment.
Yet, it is quite the opposite. Very much the opposite.
A therapist can help you check-in, re-align, set new routes and goals. Going to therapy can help you to learn more about yourself, before you arrive at your next hurdle. Therapy can help you develop or maintain better overall health as your physical well-being is intertwined with your emotional health.
Seeking the support of a therapist does not mean there is anything wrong with you. It means you are conscious. You’re driving. You are keeping above the tide that keeps rolling in.
My vision and goal is to make therapy a more normal practice, a habit, an automated self-care ritual, rather than a whisper you silently tell your best friend or worse, never ever consider. If you can go to Physiotherapy for your aching knee, then why can’t you go to a therapist for your active mind?
I encourage you to take pause, reflect and to schedule an appointment to check-in.
Until next time…
Garion