Therapy is not just for dealing with a crisis. It can be beneficial for anyone dealing with mental health challenges, experiencing high levels of stress or who simply wants to gain more knowledge and awareness. Therapy can be a great place to learn and practice new skills as people take on changes and stressors associated with different stages of life. In therapy, people learn to cope with symptoms that may not respond to treatment right away. Research shows that the benefits of therapy last longer than medication alone. Medication can reduce and alleviate symptoms, but therapy teaches people the skills needed to address symptoms on their own.
Here are five life-changing skills and tools learned in therapy that will serve people throughout their lives:
Self-Awareness
This is a skill and practice that develops with time and maturity. Teens, in particular, constantly think about themselves and how they appear to the rest of the world. They are usually not able to take a step back and observe themselves without judgment. Evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) gives people the skills to check in with themselves as they learn to witness their own thoughts and behaviors with less reactivity and more compassion.
Emotional Self-Regulation
Emotional regulation means learning to manage difficult emotions, such as stress and frustration, in a productive and thoughtful way. It means learning to channel positive emotions, like excitement and love, in healthy ways. Emotional regulation also leads to increased skills in other areas such as problem-solving, persistence with long-term projects, delayed gratification and decision-making with compassion.
Improve Motivation
Therapy can help people understand the things that are interfering with their motivation. Therapy helps people learn new ways of thinking and positive habits to help them tap into a sense of purpose and inspiration.
Relationship and Communication Skills
This is one of the most important benefits of therapy, whether there may be current difficulties in the relationship or not. Therapy guides people in forming authentic connections with others, at the same time learning more about themselves. They learn to take on responsibility for their role in relationships and open up about what they’re feeling and what they need. They also learn how to ask for and how to offer support.
Setting Healthy Boundaries
This is another all-important skill. Therapy helps people define their own boundaries within relationships, clearly communicate those boundaries, and set consequences when boundaries are crossed. Setting boundaries helps to create mutually strong and supportive relationships with peers, family, friends, and colleagues.
Therapy is not just for people in severe distress. Therapy can help anyone become more self-aware, better regulate their emotions, increase motivation, improve their relationships and communication skills and learn to set healthy boundaries. Even if you aren’t sure you want to commit to therapy, many of our clinicians here at Healthy Minds Therapy offer free consultations to talk through what you are dealing with. Based on your symptoms, they might encourage you to seek help. I challenge you to reach out and start your self-discovery journey today.
What have you got to lose?
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About Grace Kim:
Grace Kim is a Resident in Counseling providing services at the Woodbridge location. She is a Qualified Mental Health Professional for Children (QMHP-C) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Grace has extensive experience in providing outpatient counseling services to children, adolescents, and young adults. She also has sufficient experience working with adult clients with longstanding substance abuse issues. She is an individual who has had her own share of mental health challenges and, with the help of those around her, has been able to overcome obstacles and barriers in her life. To learn more about Grace, visit HERE.
