Do you have secrets about being sexually abused as a child? Has the weight of being born into a dysfunctional family taken its toll on your sense of self? Have you been diagnosed with a mental disorder, and you are struggling to cope? 

You know you need help, and you put it off because the weight of sharing "your story" seems like a lot to have to keep retelling new therapists who just don't connect with your history, community, or experiences.

Actively getting counseling is often stigmatized by members of various communities. However, it is a transformative journey that offers invaluable support and guidance. Counseling provides a safe space to navigate life's challenges by offering guidance and practical strategies to manage stress, anxiety, grief, relationship issues, or a history of physical, emotional, spiritual, or sexual abuse.  

Here are compelling reasons why seeking counseling can positively impact your life:

Emotional Support and Guidance

Working with a therapist can help you learn to cope with life's challenges. Utilizing the right and most effective coping skills can transform your daily functioning. Here are some ways a therapist supports you and may guide you as you navigate through your struggles and situations that have been having a solid impact on your life and sense of well-being.

Active Listening

Therapists attentively listen to their clients without judgment. They use verbal and non-verbal cues to understand your emotions and experiences. Unlike family or friends, they are objective and engaged. They are not working from the position of trying "to be right," and therefore, they can provide you with more support than those close to you may be able to do.  

Empathy and Validation

Therapists convey empathy by acknowledging clients' emotions, validating their experiences, and showing that their feelings are understood and accepted. A therapist can sense your emotions and understand why you think negatively/positively about a situation without making you feel wrong or judged.  

Building a Safe Space

Creating a safe and non-judgmental environment is crucial. You should feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and emotions without fear of criticism. Feeling secure and vulnerable is a central part of your healing process.  

Guided Exploration

Therapists use various techniques to help clients explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This exploration can uncover underlying issues and patterns contributing to personal, spiritual, or professional difficulties.

Psychoeducation

Therapists provide information about mental health, coping strategies, and techniques to manage emotions or challenging situations better. Psychoeducation empowers you to understand your experiences better and develop practical self-care tools. It provides the basis for creating a new understanding of yourself and your experiences or mental health. It equips you with a renewed sense of power and control in your own life.

Goal Setting and Problem-Solving

Therapists collaborate with clients to set achievable goals and work through challenges. They help you develop problem-solving skills to navigate difficult situations. Setting goals and problem-solving allows you to leave a therapy session with options and solutions and empowers you to make changes or gains.  

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Therapists often use CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or other evidence-based approaches to help clients recognize and challenge negative thought patterns, which can lead to improved emotional regulation. Talk therapy alone is not goal-oriented or solution-focused. There are many evidence-based interventions that therapists use to help you heal from hurts, pain, and difficulties.

Supportive Feedback

Therapists offer constructive feedback and observations to help clients gain new perspectives on their situations and behaviors. Unlike unhelpful comments from family members or friends, your therapist is an outside observer without any personal reasons to be involved in your life. Therefore, they can often see relationships or power imbalances keeping you from having the life you want.  

Building Coping Skills

Therapists teach practical coping skills and techniques to manage stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.   You love your family, but they are the first teachers in your life. Your parents and others close to you were the role models for coping with life's challenges. If they demonstrated unhealthy coping skills like yelling, violence, worrying, and keeping secrets, that explains how you have come to learn how to handle difficult situations in your own life. 

Encouragement and Positive Reinforcement

Therapists provide encouragement and positive reinforcement to acknowledge clients' progress, which can motivate continued growth. Feeling like you don't have people "on your team" can feel isolating. Your therapist is a member of "your team." Cheering for your success and healing.

Therapists tailor their approach based on your needs, preferences, and the treatment modalities they specialize in. Your relationship with your therapist is trusting, confidential, and a collaborative effort to support your emotional well-being and growth.