It can be a time to see how much the illness or trauma has taken away as well as what it has given you.
I have been going to therapy for nearly three years. I have worked with CBT, DBT, and EMDR. Maybe you, too, have been seeing a therapist for many years or perhaps you just started. No matter if you've been in therapy long-term or have just begun the process, rest in the knowledge that therapy will help in your healing. Whenever we undergo a traumatic experience, whether big or small, we need help to heal, and therapy is a great place to start.
Therapy and Healing
Therapy can play a major role in our healing process. The therapist is able to help us process our thoughts, talk through our troubles, obtain resources to help us in the every day, and ultimately, help us heal. While therapy alone cannot heal all problems, it can majorly help many of our difficulties. For many mental health issues, there is normally a combined treatment plan of therapy and medication. If you are having to take medication, don't be ashamed of it. I have been on anxiety medication in the past and am still on depression medication. There is nothing wrong with having to take medication.
If you are thinking about going to therapy, know that it is a great starting point for your healing. While you can't expect to be healed from your problem over the course of a few sessions, you can expect to feel better after each session. Once you have found the right therapist and he/she understands your issues, you will be able to take a step in the right direction of healing. It took a few therapists for me until I found the therapist I have now, and she has been helping me, especially during these past few months.
My Journey
I have been in therapy for anorexia, depression, and anxiety. Through therapy, I have been able to find the genesis of each of these issues and see where they started. As you work through therapy, you can find the core problem or trauma that started the issues you are dealing with today. While understanding the why behind the illness won't fix it, it can help you better understand the person you were then and the person you are now. It can be a time to see how much the illness or trauma has taken away as well as what it has given you.
Not many of us think of our illness as giving us something, but in a way, every mental health issue we have provides us with the opportunity for growth and change. Ever since I started struggling with mental illness at the age of 13, I have been a more emphatic and sympathetic person because I can understand the pain of others. Maybe you have noticed the same in your life. You might have been diagnosed with depression, and though it gives you times of immense sadness and pain, you are able to relate to others' deep struggles and pain.
You're Not Alone
Therapy helps you to work through your mental health and trauma in ways that working through it on your own wouldn't help. The therapist can listen to you, validate your feelings, and give you practical steps on what you can do to get better. There will be much work on your behalf; however, the therapy will be able to help that work feel not as difficult. With time, energy, and patience, you will be able to work toward your goals and improve your mental health.
Note: therapy will help in your healing as long as you are being honest with your therapist. It is no good to tell your therapist you are doing fine when you aren't. Oftentimes, therapists can see through this and try to work through whatever is bothering you even though you are not saying what the problem is. However, it is best to tell your therapist everything that is happening and allow yourself to be vulnerable in your feelings. Your therapist won't be judgmental, nor will they dismiss your feelings. Instead, they will give you the validation to process your feelings.
Many times, you need the help of a therapist long-term. In my most recent therapy session, my therapist told me it might take six or seven years to work through all of my issues; however, the time taken will be worth it if it can dramatically help me with these problems. The same goes for you. You might have to spend many years in therapy before you can begin to work with your feelings on your own. It doesn't mean we can't deal with our problems, but often, it means we need help processing and working through our difficulties because nobody has taught us how.
The Stigma
Growing up in the southern United States, there wasn't much spoken about feelings. The only feeling I saw portrayed was anger. It wasn't until I started going to therapy that I learned anger can be a mask for extreme sadness and depression. People can unconsciously mask their sadness and depression behind anger because anger is a less vulnerable emotion than sadness. It is not surprising then that many of us only ever saw anger growing up because everyone was afraid of showing vulnerability.
Since anger was all I knew growing up, it made me hate the emotion. I hated the way anger could change someone into somebody they weren't, and I hated how anger made me feel. I was always the weird child in my family, so I never tended to express anger, but my emotions mainly manifested in the form of crying and deep depression. Through therapy, my therapist has been able to help me understand these emotions and know how to better work through them.
The Solution
As you can see, therapy plays a vital role in healing. Whatever you need healing from, therapy is a great place to start. You need to always include God as your priority in the healing process, and He can help lead you to the right therapist. God has given us therapists to help us in our struggles and to help us work through our problems. We don't need to be afraid to start therapy because of what others might think or say.
If someone has a problem with you going to therapy, that is their problem. Nobody should be looked down upon for going to therapy. Most people have undergone some form of trauma, which means most people need some form of treatment. If you are scared of what others will think or say about you going to therapy, you can always choose not to tell anyone. Your therapist will keep everything confidential, so there is nothing to worry about. Just remember that there is nothing to feel ashamed about. Going to therapy shows great maturity, humility, and the desire to heal.
Therefore, therapy can help your healing process in many ways. It will help you to process past and present hurts, move forward in your life, and give you the tools you need to work through your illness on your own. Most of the time, this will include challenging your negative thoughts and replacing them with positive thoughts. As Christians, it can help to replace the lies from our minds with the truth of what God says in the Bible. Through God's guidance and Christian therapy, you will discover a fresh journey of healing and start new.
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