Hello angels, and welcome back to the betterment cusp. I didn't want to make it a big deal with a whole new post to explain the relaunch but not acknowledging it also felt weird. So here we are. New year, new vibes, new content (for the most part - I promise if anything is recycled it's been altered and freshened up). So let's get into it ~~
I swear by a lot of things but the one thing I can wholeheartedly say completely changed my life for the better is therapy. I wrote this sentence before and it still stands. Even more so now. I’ve been in therapy for almost a year (Feb 11. is my anniversary 🥳 ), and in this span of time I’ve seen major changes in myself and it truly was what propelled me into this betterment journey.
I love the fact that being in therapy is part of mainstream society now too. There are countless Instagram accounts dedicated to making content to encourage people to take care of their mental health. Taking care of your mental health is the cool new thing to do. I mean it should’ve always been that way but I remember the emo phase when I was in middle school and my god have we come a long way as a society from those angsty broody days.
If you don't do therapy and are wondering why you should, here's why.
The Brightest Side
Therapy has so many benefits:
✌︎ Goal-oriented – meaning, the ultimate point of therapy is to get you from point A to point B; it’s all about your personal journey to bettering your life and mental health
✌︎ Teaches coping mechanisms – in order to accomplish these goals, a therapist will guide you and offer certain techniques you can do in your day to day away from sessions to further improve your state of being
✌︎ Heals trauma – as therapists are professionals who studied humans, their attitudes, behaviours and brains, they are specialised in helping one through past traumas by offering coping mechanisms that are specific to each case
✌︎ Improves relationships – as therapy helps you with your own personal growth, the way you are towards others in your life will improve as well. It’s hard to be in therapy and not talk about the people in your life and so ultimately your therapist is likely to pick up on how your relationships are and help guide you in a way to keep them healthy and positive
✌︎ Helps get rid of bad habits – oftentimes going into therapy we already know what our bad habits are but having someone who doesn’t know us kindly encourage us to talk about them and give advice on how to get rid of them is so fucking nice
✌︎ Someone to listen to – in general, we think a lot. It’s a very human quality and we can get caught up in those thoughts and spiral super hard. We end up being too hard on ourselves and being incapable to stop. Being lonely and feeling like you have no one to talk to is a horrible feeling. That’s a reason by itself to go to therapy. Talk to someone that will listen and offer specialised advice to help you better your life and self
Ultimately though I think everyone (with the right therapist) has the chance to walk away with a lightness to their being and pure joy that is hard to describe. Almost every time after a therapy session I feel such ease and determination to do and be better. There are days after a particularly great session where I cry tears of joy and relief. It’s super fucking cathartic.
What about the money?
So the cost for therapy varies, which is great because that means you can often find a therapist that would work within your budget. The best thing to do I would say is Google “scale cost therapy in (your area)”. Also, online therapy is great if you’re looking for less costly therapy. Sites like betterhelp.com and talkspace.com are great.
I personally have been using betterhelp.com and I definitely manifested the therapist I have now into my life. On BetterHelp you fill out a form and the site matches you with a therapist. The first one I got from our initial conversation didn’t work for me so I requested a new one (so easy - it’s literally just a button and there are no hassles about it). Now I talk to my therapist weekly and I have access to message her 24/7 through the site for the cost of $180/month.
Another great benefit of online therapy is that if starting out you feel a bit uncomfortable talking about your personal life with a stranger, it’s nice to start with virtual therapy. You can always then switch to an IRL specialist. Not gonna lie though, I love that I can talk to my therapist from the comfort of my home and in PJs with a blanket if I need to.
Last (but never the least) Thoughts
Basically, therapy is the fucking best. So often we have people in our lives we talk to but they naturally have biases (partners, family members, friends, colleagues). We have them too you know? And that’s why it’s so nice to have someone who isn’t invested in you personally or knows anyone you know to talk to to get advice from. A truly unbiased, not to mention professional, opinion. Again, I feel like sometimes loneliness is what ends up making us feel down (especially during these rough times we’re all living through) so really having that sounding board is so fucking grand.
Have you tried therapy? Would you prefer online or IRL sessions? Let us know below!
Until next time,
Stay present in the now and take care of your mental health ~