Checkups for your mind are just as important as those for your body. But you wouldn’t know it from the way many people still talk and think about therapy.
While society is more accepting of mental health than it’s ever been, there’s still some level of shame associated with seeing a therapist. It’s not uncommon to hear phrases like “No wonder you’re in therapy” or “You should see someone” used in a pejorative manner. I’ve personally been on the receiving end of it. It’s meant to be a dagger. It’s meant to make you feel ashamed.
There are also still TV and movie plots that rely on salacious tropes about therapy. (No, it’s not always dramatic. No, patients aren’t constantly sleeping with their therapists.) There are still many workplaces that aren’t accepting of regular therapy appointments. There are still people in our lives ― family members, people we date, friends ― who don’t understand why therapy is important.
Therapy should be celebrated rather than stigmatized or hurled as an insult. We should embrace more positive portrayals of therapy in entertainment. There shouldn’t be a fear of repercussions at work if you need it. People should be praised for seeking mental health help, not made to feel demoralized for it.
“People should be praised for seeking mental health help, not made to feel demoralized for it.”
And changing how we view and talk about therapy is just the first chain in the link.
Sure, we can empower people to be more accepting of the process. But that will do little if someone is too hesitant to take the leap themselves, they don’t know how to find the right therapist, they don’t know how to make it work with their jobs, they aren’t open to the process or they can’t afford it.
That’s why we’ve launched “You Should See Someone,” a HuffPost Wellness series that will teach you everything you need to know about doing therapy. We’re not only flipping the script on the negative language and portrayals associated with therapy, but we’re showing you how to seek help and actually get something out of it.
“We’re not only flipping the script on the negative language and portrayals associated with therapy, but we’re showing you how to seek help and actually get something out of it.”
You’ll learn how to start therapy if you’ve never been, from finding the right therapist to making it more affordable. We’ll give you guidance on what to expect once you’re in therapy, like the questions you’ll probably be asked in a session.
We’ll give you the tools on how to talk about therapy in your everyday life, such as how to tell your boss about your weekly appointments. We’ll explore the cultural aspects of therapy, from how it became fodder for memes to how it’s portrayed on reality TV. We’ll also highlight real people’s stories on their experiences with therapy and why it changed their lives.
Mental health issues — especially among young people — are on the rise. We want to normalize therapy and show you how to do it within your own life and budget. Because you should see someone if you need to ― and there shouldn’t be anything preventing you from that.
You Should See Someone is a HuffPost Life series that will teach you everything you need to know about doing therapy. We’re giving you informative, no-B.S. stories on seeking mental health help: how to do it, what to expect, and why it matters. Because taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. Find all of our coverage here and share your stories on social with the hashtag #DoingTherapy.
