Hi there! By now you have seen my website so you know my name is Whitney and that I am a psychotherapist. It’s funny writing that out . . . “psycho” + “therapist” = psychotherapist . . . no wonder why people always associate therapy with words like psycho/crazy/sick/broken. I wonder what would happen if therapists all got together and decided to call ourselves “Happiness Seekers” or “Explorers of the Wholehearted Life.” Would that decrease the stigma? Who knows. What I do know is this:
Therapy is not for people who are “crazy.” It’s just for people. Human beings that are on this journey called life. Sometimes people work better with examples, so below I have listed a few reasons why someone may come to therapy:
1. My kids keep leaving out all of the cereal boxes every morning and I know I shouldn’t be this upset but sometimes I want to murder them. Am I a good enough parent?
2. I can’t have children/I don’t have a partner, is there something wrong with me?
3. I’ve been at this job for 15 years and I hate it. But I can’t leave.
4. A death.
5. A break up.
6. My child went to college and I miss being in college – what is my next phase in life?
7. Everything is going really well in my life and I just want to get a different perspective on a big life decision – like a move or a career change.
8. I’m depressed/anxious/lonely/abandoned/hurting/I have an eating disorder, substance abuse issue or trauma from my past.
9. I don’t know who I am or what my purpose is.
10. I just need someone to talk to who I am not related to and who hasn’t seen me drunk at a wedding.
Do any of these situations sound crazy to you? Probably not. You know why? Because these situations make up our life. This is called living. Throughout our lives things happen that throw us off kilter or make us question our path. In those moments, it can feel like we are spiraling out of control with no guidance, help, support or direction. If we don’t reach out for support, then the stress of the experience can build. . .and build . . . and build some more, eventually leading to maladaptive behaviors. Now don’t get me wrong, I will not be telling you or pushing you to do things, nor will I be helping you in the mornings with your children’s breakfast cereal.
Think of therapists as coaches on the sidelines of your life. We are here to encourage you, to help give you direction, to explore new perspectives and to support you when you just want to tap out of the game.
The Stats:
Approximately 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental health issue. However, I can confidently say 4 out of 4 people suffer with a life issue. So, whether you have schizophrenia or your new college roommate isn’t respecting your boundaries, therapy can be a huge benefit. Together we can create a solution focused experience that will allow for a happier, healthier, more fulfilled you.
What we can do together to break the stigma:
Here are some tips on what you can do to help break this trivial stigma and support your fellow humans in getting the help and support they need. Because let’s be honest guys, life is freaking hard and sometimes we just need the support.
1. Talk about mental health and getting support – when people hear about others getting support or going to therapy, it normalizes the experience and gently reminds them “hey, it’s cool for you to get some guidance and support too.”
2. Be considerate of the language you use. If someone is seeing a therapist and they let you know about it, be careful about the language you use and try to steer clear of any judgement. Always choose to empower others rather than shame them.
3. Encourage a wholehearted and healthy lifestyle. What I mean by this is to see the relationship between physical wellness and mental wellbeing (a blog post on this coming soon).Everything is connected, from what we eat, to our stress level, to our biology and brain chemistry.
4. Remind yourself and others that the mental health issue you’re dealing with, or your need for support does not define you. For example, you are not depressed, you are person living with depression. You are not neurotic; you are a single parent trying to manage everything.
5. Be empathetic and sympathetic . . . it doesn’t matter which one, just be human. The stigma therapy has garnered in our society occurred because we started categorizing people and assigning value to them. We began to define people by their hardest and worst moments. Why would we do that? We all struggle from time to time. No one knows the stress-ridden pathway that another person is walking on. Be kind, be encouraging and be brave. You’ve got this. And when you’re ready, I’m on the sideline waiting with a water bottle and a game plan.
Im so glad you are here. Thanks for stopping by.
- Whit
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