Therapy is Healthy

Let’s face it, everyone is not open to talking to a professional about their mental health and the reasons for this are very complex. Historically, topics about mental health were seen as taboo. Many people were taught that speaking about your feelings or emotions was a sign of weakness, this created a negative perception about mental health conversations. However, more and more people are speaking out about the importance of taking care of your mental health. There has been a noticeable shift and public figures like athletes, actors, influencers and many more are having open dialogue on different media outlets and social media platforms about the status of their mental health.

One of the most recent public figures that openly expressed where they were mentally speaking was Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles. Back in 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles stepped away from her events because she was not in the right state of mind. Simone openly talked about how she was feeling during the olympics in her Netflix documentary that released this year. People like Tennis star Naomi Osaka, singer Demi Lovato, and actor Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson are just some of the many public figures that are sharing their experiences with mental health challenges.

Although the stigma that once surrounded mental health care is starting to slowly lift, there are still people who are hesitant about seeking therapy because they hold misconceptions on what therapy actually is and who it is meant for. The most common misconception is that people should only seek therapy when they are emotionally distressed or if they have experienced something very traumatic but that is not always the case. While therapy is essential during times of crisis or trauma, this perspective overlooks one of the most important aspects of therapy: it’s for everyone.

You can seek therapy even if you’re happy and you think you have life all figured out. Life can be very complicated and sometimes the things we don’t actively confront are the very things that affect us the most. Therapy is a great way to uncover things that have been swept under the rug for so long, some people may think that they haven’t faced hardship or they never will but we all do. We are human and we all go through things that ultimately shape us into the people we are today.

Look at therapy as a preventive measure for your mental health. The same way we do yearly physicals with our primary physician to make sure that everything is okay with our bodies is the same way you should treat your mental health. Your mind, body, and soul are one entity that works hand and hand so you should feed each of them. Ultimately, therapy is not just a tool for people who are struggling but it is for those who want to be more self-aware and more intentional.

Therapy is an act of self-care and self-compassion. If you’ve never considered therapy, or if you’ve hesitated out of fear or uncertainty, maybe it’s time to rethink your approach. Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body and it’s okay to ask for help to navigate this. That is what therapy is for.