Family and friends, are a huge part of support system. They love you and want to see you at your best. They listen, but sometimes it gets old to talking to the same person every day for a week. Or sometimes you don’t feel like they do not or will understand what you are going through. At times it difficult to be completely honest sharing your feelings out of fear of judgement, shame, or betrayal.
Finding a therapist that you trust, feel safe and comfortable with can be a challenge, but when you find a therapist who is the right fit, you will find comfort in knowing you have someone on your side, who will not judgement, be objective and assist you with finding better solutions that work for you. Unlike family and friends, your therapist will always be on your corner, provider supportive feedback that can assist you in making healthier and better decisions for yourself. Whereas family and friends may tell you what they think you should do or talk about themselves.
The benefits of having a therapist is that they will soften the blow, if you need to hear something that may be difficult to swallow. Your therapist will be that person who will honestly tell you ways in which your are sabotaging relationships, and help you to identifying your emotions that you didn’t even know you were feeling and then they will help you understand why you do the things that you do and help you figure out the change you want to make for yourself.
Your therapist should be one of the most important supporters within your support system. You should always feel like they listens to you, cheers you on, help you celebrate success, allow you to cry and feel no shame, me cry.
I encourage everyone, mentally ill or not, to invest in a therapist. The load having a therapist can lift off your shoulders is amazing. Nothing is a quick fix, but each session you should leave feeling like a load has been lifted off your shoulders and you have learned something new about yourself.
