Explainer | Therapy 101: what to expect, and how your mental health can benefit from talking to a therapist
- There are lots of reasons people seek therapy, and just as many different therapies available. For some, it’s a chance to regularly check in with themselves
- You can talk through what you’re experiencing and how you’re feeling in a place that’s free of judgment, with someone who is listening purely in order to help
Considering what we’re living through, we’re all probably due for some therapy.
If you’ve never done therapy before, the concept can seem a little daunting. Are you just sitting in a room (or, these days, on a video call) with a stranger, telling them your darkest secrets?
Well, yes. A stranger who knows to ask specific questions, look for specific patterns of behaviour and teach you more productive ways to manage your life.
Basically, it’s like having a deep conversation with a close friend where you only talk about yourself, said Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist and the founder of Therapy for Black Girls, an online counselling platform based in the US state of Georgia.
“The difference is that the person is trained, so unlike talking with your friend, there are certain things that we’re listening for,” Harden Bradford said. “We’re paying attention to your body language. We’re paying attention to some things that someone who’s not trained as a therapist is probably not paying attention to.”