The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy

For some people, going to the psychologist is synonymous with being a weak person, but in reality, going to therapy Psychology can make you a stronger person emotionally, and can provide you with tools to can adapt betterto difficult situations that can occur throughout your life.

In this article we will see a summary of the main benefits of attending psychotherapy, that is, the areas of life in which having the help of psychologists brings well-being.

• Related article: "The 12 branches (or fields) of Psychology"

What are the benefits of psychotherapy?

As we have seen, historically, resorting to professional support for issues related to mental health has been considered a taboo, a fact worthy of stigma. However, over the decades it has been normalizing, for good reason: everyone may need to go to the psychologist eventually, and on the other hand, psychotherapy works.

Therefore, going to therapy is an act of intelligence and courage, since on many occasions the person who needs help is not aware that he or she has the problem or avoids facing reality. Many people still do not know when they should think about going to a psychologist, especially due to false beliefs about what psychotherapy is and to whom it is directed.

A psychotherapist is a mental health professional specialized in the cognitive (thinking), affective (emotions) and behavioral (behavior) areas, and who can help you empower yourself in the face of day-to-day circumstances and improve your quality of life.

Of course, beyond knowing what psychotherapists technically do, it is important to know in what sense this work is beneficial for patients. Therefore, here you can find a summary of the benefits of psychological therapy.

1. Helps you feel better

By facing with a psychotherapist those problems that cause you pain or discomfort, and being able to speak confidently and freely about oneself to someone who does not judge you about your feelings and your repressed experiences, you are letting your hidden thoughts and feelings express, which is beneficial for well-being.

When you express how you feel and release your emotional charge, you feel relieved. This is known as catharsis, a Greek word that refers to purification and is used in psychology to explain the process of releasing negative emotions.

2. Teaches you tools to manage conflict

The conflicts They are something normal in people's lives and, on many occasions, they are necessary for personal growth or coexistence with other individuals. Psychotherapy sessions teach you new ways (more adaptive) to troubleshoot.

In addition, it can help you perceive conflicts differently, so that they affect you less and be able to relativize the importance of tense situations. In this way, your way of adapting to the new circumstances of day to day will be much better and, In general, you will have less difficulties in your personal relationships or even in the professional field.

3. Helps you change limiting beliefs

With our beliefs and values we give meaning and coherence to our model of the world. The same situation can be experienced differently by each person. In short, beliefs help us to simplify the world around us, and they are interpretations of reality and not verified facts.

Some beliefs are maladaptive or limiting and it is necessary to correct them, since they are not innate, we acquire them throughout our lives. Thus, the psychologist can help you identify, analyze, test and modify them.

4. Helps you live in harmony with yourself and with others

The introspection that is carried out when attending therapy allows you to get to know yourself better and overcome, for example, a existential crisis. In addition, psychotherapy is effective for work problems (burnout, stress, etc.) or relationship problems.

Therefore, psychological therapy can help you solve these types of problems, and it is beneficial to find yourself and to relate to others more effectively. This will positively affect your mental health, and will allow you to find inner peace and well-being.

5. Gives professional advice

The psychotherapist is an expert in psychological therapy, and has extensive knowledge of human behavior, since he has completed his psychology studies in a regulated university. That is why it does not apply "recipes" to solve psychological problems, but rather studies each case particular and works from the beliefs, habits and life context of the person who comes to therapy.

Psychological therapy is not telling about problems to a friend or family member, because there is a solid foundation (both theoretical and practical) supported by science. But this is not about applying tips that are written in a manual, but about helping to modify behaviors and thought patterns to adapt them to a goal. That is why its results are long-lasting, since they are based on the characteristics of the person and the environment in which they live.

6. It empowers you in the face of life

One of the goals of psychotherapy is that the relationship between the therapist and the patient is not one of dependency. Therefore, the psychologist helps you to be master of yourself and to acquire new skills that will be useful to you on a day-to-day basis.

Attending psychological therapy is not waiting for the psychologist to solve your problems, is learning to accept and love what one is and put the necessary will to change what causes us discomfort or prevents us from growing.

7. Helps you get to know yourself

In psychotherapy, we go through the process of questioning what we thought we knew about ourselves.

In addition, several of the applied techniques entail following a series of guidelines so that, on a day-to-day basis, we get used to be aware of the different ways in which our problems make us feel, what lead us to think, and how and when these forms of discomfort arise.

8. Provide an environment in which to express yourself honestly

In addition to the knowledge and professionalism that the psychologist must show, the environment of trust that is created between the two of you will allow you to express problems and feelings that you consider more delicate (and that you might not tell anyone else).

The psychologist is not going to judge you and, in addition, has the necessary training to create a good environment of trust and empathy so that you can express yourself without fear.

Psychological therapy changes your brain

Neurological studies are finding increasing empirical evidence for the ability of psychotherapy to modify brain structures and improve them, achieving a better vital attitude to face the day to day.

You can check it by reading this article by the psychologist Eduardo Valenciano:

• "Psychotherapy produces changes in the brain"

Sessions confidentiality

The relationship with the psychologist it is confidential and strictly professional. As expressed in the ethical and deontological code of the Official College of Psychologists, the psychology professional must guarantee the secrecy and confidentiality of everything referred by whoever consults him.

Therefore, everything you say in a therapy session will be a secret between you and your therapist. This allows for a relational framework in which very intimate fears can be addressed.

Bibliographic references:

• Change, D.J. (2010). Empirical evidence on the use and effectiveness of telepsychiatry via videoconferencing: implications for forensic and correctional psychiatry. Soc Sci Med 71: pp. 1308 – 1315.
• Feixas, G. & Miró, M.T. (1998). Approaches to psychotherapy. An introduction to psychological treatments. Barcelona: Paidós.
• Griffin, J.; Tyrrell, I. (2013). Human givens: The new approach to emotional health and clear thinking. Chalvington: H.G. Publishing.
• Huhn, M.; Tardy, M.; Spineli, L.M. (2014). Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy for Adult Psychiatric Disorders A Systematic Overview of Meta-analyzes. JAMA Psychiatry, 71 (6): pp. 706 - 715.
• Soto-Pérez, F., Franco, M., Monardes, C., and Jiménez, F. (2010). Internet and clinical psychology: review of cyber-therapies. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology, 15 (1): pp. 19 - 37.
• Wampold, B.E., Flückiger, C., Del Re, A.C., Yulish, N.E., Frost, N.D., Pace, B.T., et al. (2017). In pursuit of truth: A critical examination of meta-analyzes of cognitive behavior therapy. Psychotherapy Research. 27 (1): pp. 14 - 32.