What Therapists Wish You Knew About Therapy

Some people view therapy as an expensive, glorified advice column, but that is a gross inaccuracy. Therapists are more than coaches as they take the time to truly get to know you so they can dig deep to the core of your illness. They also act as soundboards for their clients, guiding them through problems and helping them find strategies to cope. Although they may not directly suggest things, they may steer the client when they think it beneficial. Therapists can’t make you do anything, nor do they want to; their goal is to give clients the tools they need to handle their issues and the confidence to apply them in their everyday lives.

While advice can help you fix a temporal problem, therapy treats your issues with the gravity they deserve. You don’t need to be “fixed,” because you are not broken; you are ill and in need of treatment, possibly long-term, so don’t brush off therapy as an overrated “Dear Abby.”