Blog Post: The Truth About Therapy

During COVID-19, a counsellor reached out to me: she was moving her practice online and wanted to start a blog to appeal to new clients. A fear and misunderstanding of mental health care often prevents people from seeking treatment, and she wanted a space where she could explain how therapy works, without potential clients being turned away by the cost of an initial session or the idea of talking with a stranger.

As well as brainstorming key topics and developing a blog content calendar, I wrote several initial blog posts, including the one below.

The Truth About Therapy: Examining 8 Common Myths

Public perception of mental health has drastically changed in Canada over the past decades: once a taboo topic, mental health is now the focus of famous corporate campaigns, a constantly trending topic on social media and the focal point of a long list of TV shows (from Jessica Jones to Euphoria and an endless number of Grey’s Anatomy episodes).

While these representations have raised awareness about the importance of mental health and how common mental illness can be, they’ve failed to demystify what getting support looks like. Some persistent misconceptions about how therapy works still exist, which prevent people from getting potentially life-changing support: here’s the lowdown on what’s fact and what’s fiction.

Myth 1. Therapy consists of a stranger asking you intimate personal questions.

For many people, their perception of therapy is shaped by its portrayal in old school movies: the stereotypical image of an unfamiliar doctor who asks invasive and pointed questions about your childhood while you lie back on an uncomfortable (and probably leather) couch.

Therapists know it can be hard to open up about deeply private, sometimes embarrassing or traumatic experiences, which is why sessions are set up to be as laidback and relaxing as possible. A lot of clinics or offices are set up like living rooms, with comfortable chairs, blankets, and tea. Additionally, sessions are guided by what you want to talk about and disclose, and it is common to tackle tougher conversations after several sessions of developing a rapport with your therapist.

Myth 2. You don’t have the time/money/energy for it.

Therapy can be expensive, with hourly fees spanning from $100 to $250. However, many providers offer sliding scale payment (income-determined reduced fees) to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to access. You can also find accessible care through student-run clinics at universities (which are supervised by certified professionals) and at many community centres, neighbourhood houses, social service organizations and hospitals.
Some of these resources are completely free: Willow Tree Counselling has a list of low-cost counselling across Metro Vancouver which you can find here.

Sessions are typically 50 minutes long and can occur as often as you and your therapist think is helpful. Because of COVID-19, many therapists now offer virtual sessions, making it even easier to fit sessions into your daily schedule.

Myth 3. Therapy is only for people who have serious problems.

Often seen as a last resort or only for extreme situations, therapy can help people facing a wide range of common problems. You don’t need to be in the midst of a crisis to benefit: everyday life can be tough enough! As kids, most of us weren’t taught healthy stress management techniques, how to cope with complicated feelings like grief, or how to recognize the many ways in which anxiety or depression can manifest. As well as supporting clients with psychological disorders or mental health conditions, therapists can help you develop skills and areas of knowledge including:

• common conditions like anxiety, depression, and insomnia
• nurturing your self-awareness and empathy
• improving communication skills
• strengthening your confidence and self-esteem
• developing healthy habits
• pursuing personal goals for a meaningful life
• coping with major life events and preparing you for future challenges

Myth 4. Therapy is just talking.

Traditional talk therapy is one of many different kinds of therapy, though it tends to be the one people are most familiar with. It emphasizes conversation between the patient and therapist, with a focus on discovering insights into behavioural habits, negative thought patterns and past experiences. While talking is a key aspect, practitioners also use a wide variety of techniques, spanning from meditation, journalling, stress reduction methods and role-playing.

For many people, talking about their problems isn’t something they feel comfortable doing, or it may be too upsetting to bring up the past. Luckily, many other kinds of therapy don’t rely on talking such as art therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction training, biofeedback, animal therapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Not sure which kind of therapy could work for you? Psychology Today has a detailed explanation of different therapies and the various challenges they are suited for here: this can help you determine what specialization you want your therapist to have.

Myth 5. Very few people go to therapy.

Because of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase of people attending therapy to deal with stress, depression, and anxiety. A study by the World Health Organization found that just the first year of the pandemic caused a 25 percent rise in anxiety and depression cases worldwide! The reason why it may seem few people attend therapy is because most people still don’t openly talk about it, out of fear that they will be treated differently or judged: a 2019 study found that Canadians were three times less likely to disclose a mental illness than a physical one.

Although conversations about mental health have begun to normalize getting professional support, there is still a long way to go before it is understood as being as ordinary as visiting any other health practitioner for help.

Myth 6. You can get the same benefit by venting to a friend, and for free!

Although you likely already feel comfortable opening up to your friend, remember that therapists are trained professionals. Your friend’s intentions may be the best, but people typically give advice that aligns what what they themselves think is best, which may not be what best suits you and your challenges. Therapists are unbiased, wholly focused on you and trained to figure out patterns and complex connections that make up the root of your problems. Think of them as collaborative guides with years of education, experience, and enough distance from your life to be truly impartial.

Myth 7. A therapist might gossip and tell others your secrets

The things you discuss in therapy are confidential: therapists are bound by a code of ethics to protect the privacy of their clients. They can only disclose your private information in a few very specific situations: for example, if you are actively planning on harming yourself or someone else, or in situations where crime or abuse is occurring. In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) ensures that your personal medical records are kept private unless you consent to share them.
What you share in a session, stays in the session.

Myth 8. Therapy doesn’t even work.

Here’s the truth: it might not work! You may not have found a therapist that you mesh with well, the type of therapy they do may not be suitable for what you are dealing with, or you plain-and-simple may not be ready for it. While taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health, it is crucial to remember that unlike a physical checkup, where your doctor may simply give you a prescription, the work done with a psychologist or psychiatrist requires a commitment of time and effort on your part. The work is collaborative by nature: if you don’t want to be there or don’t feel comfortable opening up, you likely won’t find it beneficial.

This is why it is crucial to find a therapist you like, as well as considering aspects like their availability, specialization, hourly fee, and policies regarding insurance. Some people only feel comfortable with a maternal figure, who has a calming energy and focuses on meditation. Others prefer a tell-it-like-is character who is reminiscent of their favourite uncle.

Two great directories for finding a therapist, counsellor or psychologist can be found on Psychology Today and on Counselling B.C.: you can often get a good sense of a therapist’s personality from their bio!

Curious about other aspects of mental health and therapy? Wondering what the difference is between a psychiatrist or psychologist?

Send an email here for topics or questions you’d like discussed next.