Guest Post from an Anonymous Client: Having A Therapist Doesn't Make You Crazy
This amazing piece was written by a college-age client of mine. I love the perspective, from someone who knows first-hand, of how talking through things with a trusted professional can help on many levels.
A common misconception is that if you go to therapy, you must be crazy. The truth is, if you go to therapy, you are probably one of the more stable ones in the room.
Therapy is a very stigmatized resource for helping people with a whole variety of things. In some places, like Los Angeles, therapy is somewhat of a fad. Seeing the hottest therapist in town is a trend, and if you don’t go to therapy you aren’t “cool." Other places you are “weird” if you go to therapy, because you must have some extreme problems. Therapy needs to become a much more normalized concept and needs to be seen for all the good it does.
Therapy is a resource anyone and everyone should take advantage of. It is not just something for adults with marital problems. There are therapists that specialize in every phase of a person’s life, from adolescence to adulthood. The job of a therapist is to spend time listening to you talk about yourself. Their job is to support you and help you build a foundation for a better version of yourself.
Everyone can benefit from this.
The bond a person has with their therapist is extremely unique. It can take people two, three, five, etc tries to find the perfect therapist. You have to be comfortable being your complete. honest, most vulnerable self around this person, so there is no harm in “shopping” around until you find the perfect fit.
Mental health care is an extremely important aspect to life, and unfortunately it is not as accessible as it should be to everyone. College students are extremely fortunate in the mental health resources they have available to them. There is a variety of therapists and psychiatrists that students can make an appointment with. There is also often peer counseling . Through peer counseling students can get a feel for therapy in a less formal way, and with someone on the same wavelength.