Talking It Out: Talk Therapy and How It Can Benefit You

Over the years, the word “therapy” has become synonymous with an image of a therapist in a chair, peering over glasses as they take notes and nod periodically in response to a patient, supine on a couch, disclosing all of their deepest dreams and fears.

In reality, there are many different types of therapy, and most of them look very different from that stereotypical image. However, when the average person hears the term “therapy,” talk therapy is most likely what comes to mind. So what is talk therapy? Just as the name implies, talking is at the core of traditional talk therapy. Quite simply, talk therapy is a practice in which a patient explores their feelings by talking about them.

There are several types and schools of talk therapies under the larger umbrella of talk therapy, including group therapy, but all embrace the importance of speaking about one’s feelings in order to better understand them and uncover potential paths forward. Whether the patient suffers from depression, social anxiety, or any other type of mental health condition, this type of cognitive therapy can be very effective during the treatment process.?

How Does Traditional Talk Therapy Work?

Therapy skeptics may wonder what the point of talking about your feelings with a stranger is when you could just seek out a trusted friend, family member, or mentor. While talking with the people you love is undoubtedly one of life’s joys, our loved ones aren’t always capable of handling our burdens.

Not only are they not trained on what to say and how to react, but because they know us it’s often difficult to separate the person they know – us – from their own phobias, traumas, or mental health struggles. What’s more, we all have our own problems and it can be difficult to make space for other people’s issues, no matter how much we love them.

This is where a professional licensed therapist comes in. To a therapist, we are a blank slate – they only know what we tell them. Talk therapists are trained specifically to help us navigate our problems and identify patterns so that we are better equipped to find solutions.

A talk therapy session can help a person deal with a wide spectrum of issues, including: Depression, Anxiety, Eating disorders, Relationship issues, Anger management, Phobias, Grief, and Bipolar disorder.

We offer a range of psychological and wellbeing services to adults (older & younger) and for the workplace. Reach out for your first consultation today. Call or email us at 0802 511 9405 or [email protected].