Why is therapy important for those with mental illness? What does it achieve? Can anyone go to therapy? Is it free? Why is therapy helpful? Is it difficult?
These are some questions that people may have in regards to therapy and its value. There are many types of therapy out there including, art therapy, speech therapy, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing), GAT (gender aware therapy), Existential therapy, exposure therapy, group sessions, online talk therapy, grief counciling, Psychodynamic approach, Anger management, Coherance therapy, and so many more. It would be nearly impossible to list all forms of therapy that are available.
Therapy can be an important part of healing or recovery from mental illnesses, conditions, and traumas. It is not something to be look down upon or stigmatised! Therapy is meant to help people to function in day to day life and improve a sense of self worth. There is no magical therapy that will cure all illnesses and make everything seem perfect, but by finding the right therapy for you, your outlook on life and attitude toward the world can develop into something more positive.
A common misconception is that only those with mental health conditions can go to a therapist. This is not the case at all. There are many types of therapy that can help a nuero-typical person, (someone without mental illness), function better in daily life. Some therapy will be harder to access than others depending on its demand and your location. There are therapists for people of all ages, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. This is no right or wrong time to get into therapy.
Depending on your geographical location, the services in your area, how specialised a therapy is, and where you go, the cost of therapy will vary. There are a number of free, funded, and rebated services around Australia. Then there are also the specialist services that can cost anywhere between $100-$1000 a session! It all depends on what services you are eligible for and how you can access them. I have been to many different services and have found a place that suits my financial state and my mental state.
Therapy is designed to make life easier to handle. It can help with anything from self confidence issues, to severe mental disorders. Whatever your needs are. Therapy won't help you if you refuse to let it help you. You need to be ready to recover and help yourself as part of this process. If you believe the therapy will not work then what is the point in going?
The first session is always the worst! You need to go into details about your life and your past with someone that you have never met before. This will seem weird and awkward at first but eventually this feeling will pass. Some difficult memories and emotions will come up from time to time but it is all part of healing and moving forward. Its important to remind yourself that you are safe and everything said in the therapy office will be confidential.
So, now that I have answered those questions I hope that you understand a little more about therapy and why it is important. Thank you so much for reading.
I have a few other posts about therapy that may be helpful to you:
I will also link my 'HELP' page which has some websites and numbers that could be useful:
I hope you enjoyed this post. Follow my instagram if you haven't already @diaryofapsycho1 to keep unto date with my uploads. Have an amazing day/night/morning/afternoon, and I will see you next time.
Jen xx
(I am not a professional, I can only talk from personal experiences and my own research.)
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