Therapy 101

What is therapy? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. Therapy can be a lot of things, and it has certainly changed a lot since the days of Freud. When you imagine a therapy session, you may envision the cliche of a neurotic person lying down on a couch while a shrink sits behind him or her and monotonously asks questions. While this type of therapy (traditionally known as psychoanalysis) is still around, it is by no means the most common.Rather than writing a blog that fully explains what therapy is, which even a single textbook can’t do sufficiently, I’m going to do a series of Q & A style blogs that answer some of the most common questions I am asked about the process of therapy. Let’s start with my favorite question.Q: Isn’t therapy only for crazy people?A: First of all, the word “crazy” is not a clinical term, and has many definitions. If by “crazy,” you mean psychotic (hallucinations and delusions), then no, it is not only for crazy people. Therapy is for anyone whose life and/or mental state is not what they’d like it to be. It can range from full-blown psychotic disorders to mild dissatisfaction with one’s career. Anyone who wants to improve his or her life or state of mind can benefit from therapy.Q: How long does therapy take?A: Therapy lasts until the goal of the client is completed. Depending on the goal, this can be several weeks or several years. Many clients develop such a helpful relationship with their therapist that they choose to continue the relationship for as long as they feel they are benefitting from it. Therapy should be discontinued when the client’s goal (or goals) is completed, or when progress is no longer occurring. Q: Why get therapy when I have support from friends and family?A: That’s a good question. Some people may feel they have all the support they need from friends and family. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, it can be helpful to have a person in your life whose only job is to help guide you. Friends and family are often too emotionally invested in your well being to provide truly objective guidance. Don’t get me wrong, friend and family support is essential, but in some cases, objective feedback from a trained professional can add tremendous value to one’s support network.Those are only a few of the questions I often get regarding therapy. Feel free to email me with any questions you would like me to address in the next blog of this series.