We live at an interesting time – when a person can access mountains of information easily, with only a few clicks, and learn nearly anything they desire to know more about.
Psychotherapy, and the field of psychology in general, used to be something that only those trained in mental health knew much about. People were familiar with certain words, like “anxiety” and “depression,” but they weren’t necessarily as educated about these conditions as they are today, and very few knew the difference between treatments like CBT and psychodynamic theory.
Today, things are different. We’re more educated than ever. We have access to a wealth of information about physical and mental health. In the past, many people avoided therapy because they thought it had a stigma and did not really understand it. But now…
Now people avoid therapy because they think “I can do this myself.”
First, you don’t have to do this myself. You don’t have to learn how therapy works and try to treat yourself using its techniques. Not only is that generally impossible, but you deserve to have someone that can advocate for you, guide you, provide you with feedback, and more.
But, perhaps most importantly, it isn’t meant to be completed on yourself. It is important to understand that even therapists have therapists. In fact, it’s more common than you think.
Why Do Therapists See Therapists?
Not only do therapists often have their own therapists, but they do so at a very high rate. Exact estimates are not entirely known, but most people estimate between 60% and 80% of therapists currently have or have had a therapists of their own to talk to.
But why?
Why would a therapist need someone to talk to when they themselves know how therapy works?
It is because:
- You cannot challenge your own thinking/reality. What you believe and experience is true to you, so only someone else is going to help you see a new perspective.
- You benefit from someone keeping you accountable. It’s very hard to keep yourself accountable without help. Therapists do that as part of their job.
- You need someone to talk to. You need someone to unload your thoughts and issues knowing that their job as a professional is to be there for you.
The techniques used in psychotherapy are not designed to be completed on oneself. They are there to be completed by someone else – someone that can stop you when you’re in your own head, correct you when you share an incongruent thought, and more. That can only be completed by someone else, and therapists recognize that, even if they do not have their own psychological problems, they benefit from talking to a professional.
If therapists see therapists, then you can feel confident that you would benefit from a therapist as well. Reach to Right Path Counseling today, and get connected to a therapist that is here to help you.
