What Exactly is Therapy? How is it Different From Other Things That Feel Therapeutic?
- Alexandra Fisher
- Aug 23, 2022
- 2 min read
There are a number of myths and common misconceptions about therapy that I find frustrating and harmful to the profession overall and prevents people from getting the help they need or want.
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear about the therapeutic relationship is that a therapist’s job is to give advice. A therapist has a lot of job responsibilities, to be clear, but providing advice is NOT one of them.
Your therapist should almost never tell you what to do or give you advice. The only time I give advice or tell someone what to do is when I believe that they are making a decision that is in some way dangerous or harmful to themselves or another person (although, sometimes, I tell people what shows they should watch, admittedly).
I have said this before one million times- YOU are the expert of YOUR experience. Your therapist definitely does not know better than you do!
The point of therapy is to provide you with a safe space to explore the thoughts, feelings and behaviors you want to explore and ultimately make the decisions that align best with how you are feeling. Therapy helps you to figure out who your best self would look like, and then guide and support you through doing the work that helps you show up as that person.
In the same vein, it is important to understand that doing things that feel therapeutic is not the same as having regular, goal-oriented time dedicated to exploring YOUR goals with another person (your therapist), on purpose.
Should you be exercising regularly? Absolutely.
Should you be practicing mindfulness through your hobbies? 100%.
But, you should not assume that your regular run is a replacement for therapy, because
there IS no replacement for therapy.
Again, the goal of therapy should always be to intentionally work toward being the best version of yourself, whatever that looks like. That will often mean that you will need to do things that feel therapeutic as well as engaging in regular sessions with your provider.
Do you or someone you know need assistance? Feel free to reach out or check out these resources. Or, schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we can begin your journey together.
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