Myths About Psychotherapy
A lot has been said about psychotherapy and who needs psychotherapy services. It is unfortunate that there is still a wide spread stigma of mental health around the globe. Misguided notions of therapy, who goes to therapy, and what happens in therapy do not help. Often misinformation and incorrect depictions of psychotherapy come from movies, television, and other media sources. Psychotherapists themselves are often portrayed as complete hacks, more mentally ill than their patients, and often lacking any ethical boundaries. Not all portrayals of therapy are bad, but with so many poor depictions, it creates more and more myths surrounding psychotherapy.
Here are some of the most common myths about psychotherapy:
Psychotherapists blame all problems on a patient/client’s upbringing.
A good therapist should never blame or shame. Therapy should never include blaming or shaming. Therapists take a “bird’s eye perspective,” which allows them to help clients expand their view and see things differently. But also note that not all therapeutic approaches will work for all clients. It can sometimes be useful to talk about your childhood, but that depends on your aims and goals for therapy.
Psychotherapists prescribe medication.
Psychotherapist is a broad term that encompasses licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed psychologists. Psychotherapists are trained in helping clients with therapeutic and mental health techniques. It is psychiatrists that prescribe mental health medication. There may be times when your therapist recommends you see a psychiatrist for medication, but your psychotherapist does not prescribe medication and does not force you to take medication.
Psychotherapy should be able to solve/ resolve problems within 2-3 sessions.
Therapy is a process, and it does take time. On average, most sessions are around 45-50 minutes and can last for a few months or more. However, it is a sign that something is off if someone is in therapy for a long period of time and does not feel any improvement. Within 3-5 sessions you should have a sense for whether a therapist is the right fit for you. Change and improvement does not have to take years, but it also doesn’t happen over night.
Psychotherapy is only for really serious problems.
Therapy is for any and everyone who is seeking help for their mental health. For physical health, you do not have to be severely ill in order to see a doctor. Similarly, you do not have to be severely mentally ill in order to see a therapist, and it is actually best when clients attend therapy before a crisis arises.
All therapy is the same.
There are thousands of therapists out there, each with different personalities and techniques that they use. There are many different therapeutic modalities, and not every modality is going to be responsive for every client. Therapy is not “one size fits all.” Sometimes this means changing up therapeutic modalities, and other times it may mean finding a therapist that fits better for your needs.
Psychotherapy is just a venting session.
The American Psychological Association found that psychotherapy has been shown to help around three-quarters of the people who try it. Their research also found that about 80% of people who tried some type of psychotherapy felt better after therapy ends, as opposed to people who never attended therapy at all. Psychotherapy is a different approach to health, just like seeing a doctor, holistic medicine, nutrition, dentist, etc.
Therapists just tell people what to do.
I recognize that there actually can be something comforting in having someone tell you what to do, and many people try therapy because of this myth. However, therapy is not about having someone make decisions for you. Rather, therapists help guide and empower you to find your own answers. Therapy is far more powerful when the client feels empowered to make decisions for themselves, as opposed to having someone else make the decisions for them.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles are the result of sin, and you just need to be closer to God.
You could be the most devoutly religious individual and still have mental health struggles. There are many causes of mental health struggles, and “sin” is not one of them.
A therapist is just a paid friend.
Hopefully your therapist is someone you can relate to and feel comfortable with. But, make no mistake, therapists go through a lot of school, training, testing, and continue to educate themselves throughout their careers. Qualified therapists adhere to a code of ethics, which requires them to provide best practices. (Check out Psychology Today’s article- Are Therapists Just Rent-a-Friends?)
Therapists force you to talk about things you do not want to talk about.
Therapy should go at a pace that works for you. There is no requirement for you to talk about something if you do not want to. That being said, sometimes a therapist may challenge you to address problems, but it should not be to a point that is harmful for you. For example, often times it is not helpful to talk about details of a traumatic event, and you should not be forced to. There are other ways to address trauma aside from talking about the details. Therapy should not be harmful, but it should challenge you.
These myths are anti-therapy beliefs that end up preventing people from getting the care that they need.
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