"When we can't fully express ourselves to our friends and family, some of us decide to find a therapist. Therapists can hold up the mirror to show us the maladaptive patterns we're repeating over and over. The brave therapists risk our anger and resentment as they professionally and respectfully challenge us to consider the mistakes we're making. They help us overcome our shame and teach us that our depression, our anxiety, and our hate all find no purchase on the steep slope of emotional support,"
"If we're fortunate enough to find a good therapist, they will give us a diagnosis, perhaps a very serious one, but maybe something that requires no more than a new way of looking at a few details of our lives. That same "good therapist" usually will lay out a treatment plan, that is, a roadmap of how we're going to get better."
Shame thrives in isolation and worsens mental illness, destructive behaviors, and irrational beliefs. Telling family or friends about disturbing feelings, thoughts, and behaviors often feels frightening because of possible judgment, ridicule, or harm. When personal disclosure is not possible, professional therapy can reveal maladaptive patterns and challenge harmful behaviors with respect and firmness. Skilled therapists risk clients' anger to guide diagnosis and create treatment plans tailored to recovery. Treatment can range from reframing perceptions to intensive work for chronic conditions. Emotional support, love, and acceptance undermine depression, anxiety, and hatred by offering a safer context for change.
Read at Psychology Today
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