For many of us, it often takes a major life crisis before we drag ourselves kicking and screaming into counselling or psychotherapy!
Unlike cities such as New York, Paris and Buenos Aires where psychotherapy is considered hip, essential to overall well-being and used as a way of developing intelligence – there is a widely held perception that we must be broken, crazy, weak, diseased or sick if we find ourselves in need of a counsellor or psychotherapist.
In addition to the stigma attached with going to see a therapist, a major deterrent is the perceived cost. Overall, we are more inclined to spend money and time in other areas of our lives than we are our psychological health and well-being. But at what cost?
We spend hundreds and thousands of dollars investing in things and experiences in the hope that they will soothe our anxieties, depressions and eradicate our suffering. Unfortunately, they only provide us with a short-term fix, temporary relief, and short-lived happiness. Often our attempts can subsequently lead to other issues such as addictions, unhealthy relationships, health and/or financial problems.
Participating in counselling or psychotherapy works better than medication in most cases and there is a whole heap of evidence emerging to prove their effectiveness. The great thing about engaging in therapy, is that it continues to work for a lifetime because we learn essential life-skills such as emotional intelligence, awareness, mindfulness and self-care.
Good therapy is undoubtedly one of the best long-term investments we will ever make.
25 long-term benefits of investing in counselling or psychotherapy
- Receive support, empathy and compassion from someone who is objective
- Heal from early childhood wounding and abuse
- Find resolution and freedom from the pervasive underlying causes of problems
- Reduce stress, anxiety, depression and other symptoms of distress
- Find freedom from self-destructive thoughts and behaviours
- Learn how to manage, accept and see the value in a wide range of feelings
- Enhance emotional intelligence and build a strong foundation for healthy relationships
- Increase self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-compassion, self-worth and self confidence
- Gain a greater sense of clarity, focus and concentration
- Have a more conscious relationship with money, food, career or whatever else it is that you may be struggling with
- Learn how to build support systems and social skills
- Build a toolbox of self-care, coping and life skills
- Become more intuitive and unleash creativity
- Explore the deeper meaning of dreams and images
- Discover value, meaning and purpose in life and out of past suffering
- Develop compassion, kindness and gratitude towards self and others
- Experience a sense of inner peacefulness and calm
- Reconnect with self, others and the environment
- Experience self-actualisation and self-realisation
- Live a conscious life
- Facilitate healthy life long changes
- Answer questions such as ‘who am I?’ and ‘where am I?’
- Get to know the whole self: body, feelings, mind, sexuality and spirituality
- Find a balance between and utilize both feminine (love) and masculine (will) aspects of the psyche
- Apply newfound awareness and skills to all areas of life e.g. parenting, relationships, career, politics, creative pursuits and caring for the environment.
This blog is part of my Therapy Rocks! series.
