Top 10 Myths About Counseling, Therapy, and Psychotherapy
Ok, so you’ve found some potential therapists that seem great, and you’ve scheduled some free consultations, but maybe you have a ton of additional questions. There are lots of misunderstandings about therapy and the counseling process, so I thought I’d clear some of them up for you. Looking for the top 10 truths? Click here!
Top 10 myths about therapy and counseling
#1 Being in therapy means you’re crazy or there’s something wrong with you.
False! Most people could benefit from therapy at some point in their life. In fact, most therapists have counselors themselves! And the world is a stressful place- there’s nothing wrong with getting extra support.
#2 My therapist tells their friends or family about our sessions.
False! While there are a few, rare exceptions to this (see here), your therapist can not tell anyone else about your counseling without your written permission.
#3 I have to tell my therapist about everything that ever happened to me.
False again! As therapists, we understand it takes time to trust a new person. Sometimes even years. And sometimes there may be things you don’t want to get into during counseling. All of that is ok.
#4 I have to talk about my childhood.
You guessed it, false! While some therapists get into your childhood, and there certainly can be benefits to that, you can stay in the here-and-now.
#5 Therapy will fix everything.
As much as I don’t like to say this, false. There are many things that therapy can address and help with, but therapy isn’t always a fix. There are even times when things don’t need to be fixed. Neurodivergence is a great example of this. There is no “fix” or “cure” for ADHD and autism because it isn’t needed. While you may be autistic and in therapy, your therapy should be focusing on helping you live in a world that wasn’t built for your brain, not trying to change who you are. Other times, therapy can be like a support. Say you’ve recently lost a loved one. There is nothing that will make that not sad. But, with the support of a counselor, you can get to a place where the grief isn’t overwhelming and you can function in your daily life.
#6 I’ll need to be in therapy forever.
Nope! Most therapists would love to work themselves out of a job! The goal of therapy should always include getting to the point where you no longer feel you need a therapist. That being said, some people get a lot out of long-term therapy, and if that is you, that’s ok too!
#7 My therapist never has any problems.
So false! Therapists are human too, and we can have just as much pain and suffering as the next person. Your therapist should never burden you with their problems, but trust me, we share many of your same struggles.
#8 Once I’m done with therapy I’ll never need it again.
Not necessarily true. Some people only need therapy for a brief time in their life. Others go in and out over the course of time. It depends on what’s happening in your life. And it’s ok to come back.
#9 If I go back to therapy, it has to be with the therapist I saw before.
Also not true. Many therapists have a specific specialty, and that means that a counselor you worked well with before might not be the best fit for what’s happening currently. Someone may have been a great fit while you were working on some anxiety, but you might want to find someone else to address emotions surrounding fertility issues. Or maybe you got everything you needed from a past therapist, but there’s more work to be done. It’s ok to see different counselors at different times.
#10 Therapy has to be 50 minutes, once per week.
And false! While most counselors follow this model, more and more we are finding that a lot of good, deep, healing work can be done through therapy intensives. The details will vary from person to person, but essentially, a therapy intensive is where you meet with a therapist to laser-focus on a particular issue for longer sessions, but fewer. Many therapists who offer intensives will have you attend sessions that are anywhere from 3-6 hours at a time, for a few days. You can read more about intensives here.
And there you have it! My top 10 myths about therapy and counseling. If you are still feeling stuck, or have additional questions, feel free to fill out my contact form for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what you’re looking for and direct you to the right person. If you are looking for support as an autistic or ADHD adult, you can find out more about that here. And if you are feeling stuck in therapy, and need help breaking through a plateau, you can read about Brainspotting Intensives here.
