Hi Mama,
Therapy. If you’ve never gone, it might sound scary. You might be under the impression that it’s “just for crazy people” or “people with problems”. That’s actually not true at all! Today I’m going to share with you 5 benefits of going to therapy that have changed my life!
Just like going to the gym, going to therapy is good for your health. It can help with with so many aspects of your life from relationships, body image, stress relief, processing grief and trauma, and so much more!
I’ve been going to therapy regularly over the past 7 months and it has changed my life. When I first started going I was so apprehensive and I had thoughts like, “is this necessary?”, and “do I really have issues that need professional help to solve?”
After more than 25 sessions I have learned soooo much from my therapist. I want to share with you some of the benefits of therapy that have helped me so much in my everyday life so that you can decide if therapy is right for you.
5 Benefits of Going to Therapy
- Communication/Relationships: Something that shocked me after having a baby is how big of a shift there was in the relationship dynamic of my marriage. We used to get along great, and suddenly we were fighting more, feeling more distant, and losing that spark. One of the main issues was not knowing how to communicate through some of the new challenges that we faced. If I’m being honest, I really thought our marriage was in trouble. I remember one of my first therapy sessions we discussed how I was upset about a huge fight I had with my husband and that we “never used to fight” before. It was comforting to hear my therapist talk me through my feelings and she gave me the skills to think rationally before speaking in order to avoid bigger conflicts. I feel more confident when having discussions with my husband about topics that I’m emotionally invested in (ex: our baby) and I am able to make my feelings heard better than before. One quote she said that really stuck with me is this: “this feeling is not forever, things will work out”. I didn’t really believe her in the moment but she was right.
- Managing the daily stress of motherhood/womanhood: Don’t get me wrong, I love being a woman! I am so grateful that I get to be a mom, but sometimes the societal pressure that I feel as a woman can be overwhelming. The baby, the house work, managing the family social calendar, working, being a good wife, birthdays and holidays, running errands….. a lot of responsibility falls on the woman/mom. I’m easily overwhelmed but going to therapy has helped me to know when to slow down, when to ask for help, and when it’s okay to take a deep breath and just say “OH WELL!”.
- Reflection: As a list maker, planner, and full-blown Virgo, you would think this is something that I would naturally be good at. Spoiler alert: I’m not. I sometimes can get stuck on the hamster wheel of doing it all, pleasing everyone, and being the perfect mom. Since starting therapy I have learned the skill of reflection and have been able to look at my situation from an outsider’s perspective, celebrate all my wins, and not dwell on the “failures”. It’s helped me to slow down when things are getting to be too much.
- Letting it all out: Sometimes all we really need to be able to talk through things, vent, and not be judged. Friends may be willing to listen and help, but sometimes will also try to give you advice, which might make you feel judged or uncomfortable. It’s weird. I find that being able to spill my guts out to someone who is not a close friend or family member is safe and helps me to actually talk myself through some of my issues without needed any outside opinions/advice.
- Validation: When it comes to mental health, there is still a lot of stigma around people having “too many” feelings. Women with feelings are categorized as “emotional” or “PMSing”. Mothers who complain about things that are upsetting them are “ungrateful”. Husbands don’t always understand the issues that women go through and may come off as “uncaring” simply because they don’t know what you’re experiencing. It is so good to be able to talk to a professional who validates your feelings and doesn’t make your feel bad or guilty about feeling this, that or the other thing. I believe that this validation also helps to process through heavy feelings such as depression, grief, and trauma. It’s so important and this alone is a HUGE reason why I think everyone can benefit from therapy. This helps you to do that important inner work to will help you to lead a more peaceful life.
So I hope that reading the benefits of going to therapy puts a new perspective on therapy for you. If you are on the fence about whether or not you should see someone, I’ll tell you this. Calling and making the first appointment is the hardest part. I was literally shaking the night I called to schedule my first appointment. My voice was trembling as I gave her a brief rundown of some of the issues I was experiencing. It was scary. It was emotional. But it was oh so worth it!!
If you have more questions or reservations, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram @motheroffawn. I would be more than happy to talk things through with you.
And if you already go to therapy and have learned something helpful, share it in the comments! I would love to hear your experiences.
Let’s normalize mental health and getting professional health.
After all, a heathy mother is the best kind there is! Your baby deserves that and so do you! <3
xo
Mother of Fawn
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