When I tell people that I am a therapist, I generally hear, “So, are you analyzing me right now?” I even have friends and family members tell me, “Stop therapizing me.” So, I just want to say that therapists are not always “therapizing” you. Truthfully, being a therapist is just a piece of who I am, and I don’t like the idea that someone in the room thinks that I may be analyzing them. To be honest, I don’t even analyze my clients. Rather, therapy is a collaborative effort—meaning we work together to get to the root and plant something new.
So, what is therapy?
Therapy is support. Therapy looks like talking about the things that are not easy and getting support and validation of your feelings. All those feelings that have been pushed to the side or pushed down? Lay them on us! Let’s talk about that and explore them together.
Therapy is hard. These feelings, emotions, and ways of being didn’t appear in a day, and it won’t take a day to repair. Sometimes therapy is hard, and you can feel worse before starting to feel better. I don’t say this to scare anyone off, but in therapy, we confront things that have been buried inside for a long time. That’s not an easy thing to do for anyone, and you’re not alone in feeling nervous about addressing these things head on.
Therapy is recognition. It’s recognition that what you have been through and what you are going through matters. It’s recognizing that life is not always easy. Yet, via the process of therapy, we want to help you be your best self in the midst of so much recognition and reckoning.
What therapy is not?
Giving you the answers. We can’t do this for you—instead, we can only give you tools to help guide you. Will I be there to support you in whatever happens? Absolutely! But I can’t make life decisions for you, which is kind of the beautiful thing about therapy. You get someone with whom you can—without judgment—talk about how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking.
Therapy is not all doom and gloom. Do you have something good or exciting to talk about? Heck yes, let’s hear it! There is a misconception that therapy is only about “talking about problems.” However, we like to celebrate your accomplishments and milestones with you! These can be good things about which to talk and explore in therapy, as they are also important parts of your life.
And lastly, therapy is not the therapist analyzing the client. I assure you that I am not sitting there thinking about what you would get out of an inkblot test. I just want your honest input so that in session we can create a dialogue and best help you break down cognitive distortions and walls.
With a better idea of what therapy is and is not, you may also be wondering when the right time might be to see a counselor. You can read more about it from Ricky’s blog here: When is the right time to see a therapist? — Greenway Therapy (begintalking.com).
Contact Us to Connect with a Therapist In St. Louis
If you or someone you know could benefit from talking with someone, we are here to help. Here at Greenway Therapy we have multiple therapists who can help guide you on your journey, provide resources, and support you.
Have more questions? E-mail us at admin@greenwaytherapy.com, or call us at 800-353-6402, and a therapist would be happy to talk with you!
Ashley Rickert is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Greenway Therapy . Learn more about her on her BIO page.
