Recap:
Last week, I covered some common myths about therapy/mental health in my “Common Myths About Therapy (Pt. 1)” post. And because there were so many, I had to make a part 2. Now, on to the good stuff!
Myth 1: My Problems Aren’t Serious Enough for Therapy
Have you ever wondered, “Is this really my life?” If you answer yes to “Am I satisfied with the life I’m living,” or “Is there anything I want/need to change in my life,” there you have it! These are reasons as good as any to look into therapy. Many believe you check yourself into treatment when you hit rock bottom, but this isn’t always the case. There are many reasons to seek therapy, ranging from minor inconveniences to life-changing upsets. According to the American Psychiatric Association, psychotherapy can help with the following:
- common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety disorders
- managing feelings of grief, such as after losing a loved one or having a medical illness
- coping with different types of trauma
- dealing with the challenges of navigating everyday life
- accomplishing professional and personal goals
- improving your communication skills
- gaining a deeper understanding of yourself
- increasing your self-esteem
- cultivating stronger, more connected relationships
- managing stress
- developing healthy habits
There is no “serious enough” when it comes to getting mental health help – if it’s a problem for you, there’s someone out there who can help you with it. As long as you’re willing to do the work required to bring about the change you want to see, your therapist will happily assist you in any way possible. A referral to a psychiatrist for a medication regimen, connection to employment resources, psychoeducation on navigating conflict or implementing healthy communication skills into their repertoire, ways to spice up your marriage, all of this assistance is available to you if you want it!
Myth 2: All Therapy is the Same
When most people picture therapy, they imagine someone in a room with an old, white man holding a clipboard, lying down on his couch while spilling their guts about their deepest, darkest secrets. Although I’m sure this is how things transpired if you were alive when Sigmund Freud was (the 1500s or somewhere close to there, I think?), modern therapy looks slightly different from this. Sure, there’s talk therapy, where sessions are spent chit-chatting away with your therapist about your childhood trauma (as well as your roommate troubles, how much you hate your job, and whether you should text your ex), but there are so many other ways to do therapy!
A singular therapeutic modality could never be sufficient to meet the ever-growing needs of today’s world. It only makes sense that new forms of therapies will be born as the world continues to evolve. These will be delved into at a later time, but for now, here are some of the most popular therapy types:
- CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)
- DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy)
- Exposure Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Mentalization-Based Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Animal-Assisted Therapy
- Emotion-Focused Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy
- Creative Arts Therapy
- Play Therapy
More information on these therapies is available here.
Myth 3: Everyone Will Know I Go to Therapy
To provide the best level of care to the population they serve (and to avoid getting sued and losing their professional license/ability to practice in the future), professional counselors and therapists must abide by specific codes of laws and ethics. There are various codes, some on the statewide level, like the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT) Code of Ethics, and some on the national level, like the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics. They tend to vary slightly when it comes to certain issues, but regarding confidentiality, they’re all pretty stable across the board. The ACA states:
- B.1.c. Respect for Confidentiality: Counselors protect the confidential information of prospective and current clients. Counselors disclose information only with appropriate consent or with sound legal or ethical justification.
- B.1.d. Explanation of Limitations: At initiation and throughout the counseling process, counselors inform clients of the limitations of confidentiality and seek to identify situations in which confidentiality must be breached.
In layman’s terms, confidentiality is a top priority for the therapist you see, and no one will know you’re seeking services unless you tell them. Therapy is a very intimate and vulnerable process. For a client to open themselves up to a degree where real change and growth can occur, the therapist must first establish safety in the relationship. Confidentiality is one of the ways they do that. Per the codes of ethics therapists and counselors are governed by, they cannot share any of the information brought into the room with anyone (unless it’s with a supervisor or a fellow therapist they’re seeking guidance from, and only after they get your permission to do so). They can’t even let anyone know who their clientele is. If your therapist saw you in public, they wouldn’t approach/ acknowledge you unless you did so first. It sounds like overkill, but a big part of caring about clients means protecting/respecting their identity and privacy.
The ONLY times when this pact of confidentiality can be broken are when the client poses a threat to themselves or others, when there’s suspicion of child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or when there’s a court order for their session notes. And even in these cases, the therapist will inform you ahead of time that by law, they must take certain actions. They care about you but also have a duty to protect the public.
Myth 4: Therapy Lasts Forever
Some weirdos (myself included) find a good therapist and never want to let them go. Normal people, however, have the very reasonable concern that if they begin therapy, they’ll be confined to its grasp for the rest of their days. Fortunately, this is not the case! Length of treatment will vary from person to person, but on average, therapy lasts for 3-5 months or 6-12 sessions. [1,2] According to the American Psychological Association, 50% of the people who seek treatment for mental health struggles see a significant reduction in their self-reported symptoms after 15-20 sessions. [3]
The type and length of treatment one will receive is contingent upon the nature and severity of their presenting problem. Less severe difficulties typically require fewer sessions and chronic conditions require more. Together, therapist and client create goals; once these goals are reached, treatment can end, as the client doesn’t need the therapist anymore.
You can also let your therapist know at the start of treatment that you’re looking for something short-term, and if this is in line with how they practice, they’ll honor your request. They won’t be offended and will applaud you for knowing what you want and asking for it upfront.
Myth 5: Therapists Can Prescribe Medication
Contrary to popular belief, therapists can’t prescribe you medication. Only doctors and psychiatrists can do so, as they have the required training. Psychologists (those who hold a Master’s and/or Doctoral degree in psychology) can also prescribe medication but may only do so legally in 5 states (New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho; several states have current legislation pending). [4]
Therapists do have a basic knowledge of medication and psychopharmacology, but certainly not enough to make them experts on the matter. It’s not uncommon for them to refer a client to see one of the three health professionals above if their symptoms are severe enough to warrant medical intervention after a proper and thorough assessment. They will then work with the psychiatrist or doctor to monitor your symptoms/progress and ensure that the medication and psychotherapy work together to improve things for you. The hard and scary medical stuff is left to the champions that go by “Doc,” allowing therapists to stick to their forte: helping clients work through their problems. Thank God for residency!
We’re halfway there! Next week, we’ll cover part 3 of the common therapy myths series, and there are some interesting ones in there you won’t want to miss! See you soon!
From my chair to your screen, Charity ✨
