Blog 1 (Part 2 of 8): Who attends therapy?

There is one myth that I must dispel first – this idea that one must be “mad”, “crazy” or “weak” to see a Therapist or Psychologist.  Sadly, this is a commonly held view within society.  Growing up in a small Scottish community myself, mental health was rarely spoken about, and going to therapy was unheard of.  If it was ever mentioned, it was seen as spending time in a “big hospital” for those who “weren’t quite right” or a “a bit mad”.  I was speaking about this with my partner the other day – he works as a Tennis Coach and seeking support is very different in his industry.  It is often the fittest, most serious, hard-working athletes and sports people (e.g. take Andy Murray!) who actively seek out a Sports Coach, as well as those who are unfit or only starting tennis (including children).  It is not as accepted to see a Clinical Psychologist as it is to see a Sports Coach – THIS is crazy!  Similarly, it is often seen as more conventional to see a Personal Trainer for our physical health than it is to see a Psychologist for our mental health.  Overall, there is often a real stigma around going to therapy and seeking support for our mental health than seeking support for other things in life.  Why is this?  Isn’t our mental health just as important as our physical health?

Breaking the stigma

When I think about who I work with, most of my clients are successful, high-functioning people.  You do not have to be “severely ill”, “mad” or “crazy” to come to therapy – quite the opposite.  Clients tend to have a personal goal that they want to work on, such as creating a better work-life balance, learning how to communicate better with their partner, losing weight or feeling less anxious.  It is often those who many people see as “strongest” that come to therapy, the ones who take on too much but appear to be busy “managing everything” and look like they have their “shit together”…. because they often do…. until they don’t.  In my experience, you are not weak if you seek therapy – it often shows some serious strength! 

While many medical doctors specialise in life-threatening problems like cancer, others treat “common” illnesses like the common cold, flus, sick bugs – illnesses most of us have experienced at least once in our lives.  This is similar to Psychologists – some are specialist in providing therapy to people with severe and enduring mental health problems which require hospitalisation, while other Psychologists specialise in working with people who have what we are seeing as more “typical” / “everyday” difficulties, such as stress, anxiety, low mood, perfectionism, navigating a relationship breakup, etc. 

Join the dots:

(1) Therapy is for anyone and everyone,

(2) Our mental health is just as important as our physical health and

(3) It takes serious strength to admit you need support when you are mentally struggling.

But why see a Psychologist and not just talk to a friend? …go to Blog 1, Part 3.