When I introduce our counseling practice in local networking groups for businesses, I say we are changing the way people think about mental health care. Why do I say that? Here are the top five myths we hear from people that we love debunking!
“I am going to be in therapy weekly for five years.”
This is the most common one we hear. The reason for this came from therapy’s origins when this was true under psychoanalytic approaches from Freud. Not valid anymore, though! Research has proven other approaches that lead to quicker results, all of which we use here! Most of our clients are in and out in under a year, and even those who stay longer are often just adding on additional goals to work on. We have a calculated approach and strategy that leads to the most substantial change in the most efficient way.
“My therapist is going to be overwhelmed and burnt out – they will barely remember me.”
Unfortunately, this can be true in many places. Even with the best intentions from the therapist, many places are structured so that the therapist has to take on an extremely high caseload that impacts their quality of care. We set caseload limits here to ensure your therapist is always ready for you and will remember the details of your work together.
“Therapy is just someone listening and agreeing to everything you are saying, I have my dog/best friend for that.”
Our clients will be the first to tell you we will not just tell you what you want to hear to get you to like us. We value honesty and hard work, which sometimes means facing a harsh truth that may be difficult to hear. We help you understand your brain and psyche in a way you cannot on your own so you can adjust and optimize your approach in life.
“Talk therapy is just a pseudo-science; you’re just making it up.”
This is another common one we hear, particularly from one person in a couple who doesn’t want to be there. Talk therapy now has over a century of research to inform us of best practices and efficient strategies. Every week, our therapists present new information they learned from an evidence-based source to keep us fresh and operating at the cutting edge of therapeutic work. We also pay for some continuing education for our therapists to ensure they are always staying fresh and compliant with state requirements.
“Therapy is Only for People with Serious Mental Illness”
While therapy can be done for those significant mental health struggles, this is not a significant portion of our practice. Most of our clients come in with a range of normal life stressors, relationship struggles, as well as anxiety and depression symptoms. Therapy can help you optimize your life so you don’t have to suffer through things that could be addressed with the right guidance.
Ready to get started? Reach out today through our contact page!