{"id":11150,"date":"2017-01-11T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=11150"},"modified":"2017-09-19T12:09:34","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T17:09:34","slug":"why-seeing-a-therapist-is-worthwhile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2017\/01\/why-seeing-a-therapist-is-worthwhile\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Seeing a Therapist Is Worthwhile"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Why Seeing a Therapist Is Worthwhile<a href=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/12\/Why-Seeing-a-Therapist-Is-Worthwhile.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11325\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-11325\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/12\/Why-Seeing-a-Therapist-Is-Worthwhile-350x293.png\" alt=\"Why Seeing a Therapist Is Worthwhile\" width=\"350\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/12\/Why-Seeing-a-Therapist-Is-Worthwhile-350x293.png 350w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/12\/Why-Seeing-a-Therapist-Is-Worthwhile-768x644.png 768w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/12\/Why-Seeing-a-Therapist-Is-Worthwhile.png 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>Maybe you\u2019ve always thought people only go to therapy if there\u2019s something wrong with them \u2013 it\u2019s like admitting you\u2019re a failure or a nut. But actually, therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. Even if you don\u2019t have any type of mental illness (and it\u2019s also ok if you do!) it\u2019s useful to talk to a therapist to work through your own thoughts and feelings.<\/p>\n<h2>Who Therapy is for<\/h2>\n<p>The main category of people that therapy helps is those who are human and have feelings \u2013 in short, everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Most of us don\u2019t grow up knowing how to handle our feelings well or communicate in the most effective way with others. It\u2019s not something our culture or education does a good job of teaching us. Therapists are specifically trained in helping people to develop those skills.<\/p>\n<p>A trip to therapy is usually more worthwhile when you\u2019re dealing with something big in life \u2013 a loss, relationship troubles or a transitional period \u2013 but it can be illuminating and useful even when you\u2019re not. A good therapist can help you with life skills that make your day-to-day a little better even when things are fine.<\/p>\n<h2>What Therapy Can Teach You<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important here to clarify that therapy isn\u2019t magic \u2013 you can\u2019t go to one appointment and \u00ad\u00ad\u2013 Poof! \u2013 all your problems are gone. But if you find a good therapist and put in the time and work, you can make some serious strides toward many of life\u2019s biggest challenges.<\/p>\n<p>As a starter list, therapy is useful for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teaching people how to communicate with loved ones better<\/li>\n<li>Teaching people to control their anger<\/li>\n<li>Helping people manage stress better \u2013 which pays off in reducing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/the-many-negative-effects-of-stress-on-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stress-related health issues<\/a> <\/strong>as well<\/li>\n<li>Helping people beat depression<\/li>\n<li>Helping people deal with loneliness<\/li>\n<li>Helping people and their families face a difficult diagnosis<\/li>\n<li>Teaching people how to manage and reduce anxiety<\/li>\n<li>Providing techniques to improve many of the little things about yourself and your life you don\u2019t like<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/sandwich-generation-stress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Caregivers face a lot of stress<\/a><\/strong> and generally have difficulty balancing their other priorities with caregiving. Therapy can help with that.<\/p>\n<p>Seniors face high risks of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/the-very-real-dangers-of-senior-loneliness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">loneliness<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2015\/05\/depression-in-seniors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">depression<\/a><\/strong>, often on top of (or due to) the grief of losing loved ones and facing difficult health problems. Therapy can help with that too.<\/p>\n<p>Therapy doesn\u2019t make problems go away, but it teaches you how to face them in a way that makes them more manageable and less destructive to yourself and those around you.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Get What You Need Out of Therapy<\/h2>\n<p>As mentioned, therapy isn\u2019t a fast and easy solution. You have to approach it the right way and be willing to do the work the therapist recommends. That could even mean homework in between visits. For seniors it\u2019s probably been a long time since you had \u201chomework\u201d so it may take a mental shift to get used to it.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re going to give therapy a try, here\u2019s how to increase your chances of getting what you need from it.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule #1: Have an open mind.<\/h3>\n<p>If you go into it assuming you won\u2019t get anything out if it or thinking it\u2019s all cheesy, well, you won\u2019t get anything out of it. First things first, you have to trust that your therapist knows what they\u2019re doing and cares about helping you. Be prepared to listen to what they have to say and seriously consider it \u2013 even if it\u2019s not always something you think you want to hear.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule #2: Be honest.<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes honesty is embarrassing. Sometimes honesty is so difficult to face that it reveals something we don\u2019t even want to admit it to ourselves. You have to go into each therapy session with a willingness to tell your therapist what you\u2019re really thinking and feeling \u2013 even when you\u2019re worried it might reflect badly on you, and even when it means talking about something you usually prefer not to think about.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule #3: Don\u2019t be ashamed.<\/h3>\n<p>This rule applies both in the room and out. Therapists are trained to listen to patients without judgment. That doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t ever be stern about telling you something you don\u2019t want to hear, but their focus is on listening and helping, rather than passing judgment on what they hear. Don\u2019t be embarrassed to admit any upsetting or dark thoughts you may have. They have to hear them before they can help you with them.<\/p>\n<p>And unfortunately, you may still encounter the occasional person who doesn\u2019t respect therapy. Don\u2019t let their opinions get to you. Much of our current culture now understands that therapy can be useful, so those who see it as shameful are in the minority. And anyone who intentionally avoids therapy due to shame and stigma is missing out, while you\u2019ll get to take advantage of the benefits of gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and how best to navigate through this world.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule #4: It\u2019s ok to shop around.<\/h3>\n<p>Not all therapists are created equal. If your first experience isn\u2019t great, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean therapy isn\u2019t right for you \u2013 it might just mean that particular therapist isn\u2019t right for you.<\/p>\n<p>Therapists are still human, so while they all get special training to do this, that training doesn\u2019t make them perfect at their job for all possible patients. You might need to give a couple therapists a try until you settle on the one that\u2019s really right for you.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Find a Therapist<\/h2>\n<p>Start by asking around to see if friends, family members, or your doctor can offer a recommendation for therapists they like. Word-of-mouth references are generally a good way to know you\u2019re in good hands.<\/p>\n<p>If your insurance covers therapy, then do some searches through your insurance website to see who\u2019s covered in your area. Medicare also covers therapy up to a point. Seniors can search on\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/therapists.psychologytoday.com\/medicare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psychology Today<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to find therapists in their area that take Medicare.<\/p>\n<p>Many therapists have specialties, so if you know you need someone who focuses on helping people deal with grief or one that knows all about finding strategies to handle stress, you can identify a therapist suited to your needs with a little research. Check the listings on <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/newsearch\/search.html?search%5Bzipcode%5D=78754&amp;search%5Bmiles%5D=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoodTherapy.org<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/therapists.psychologytoday.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psychology Today<\/a><\/strong>, where you can search by location and see details and specialties of therapists in your area at a glance.<\/p>\n<p>When you find someone who seems like a good fit, give them a call. A lot of therapists will provide an introductory call free of charge so you have a chance to chat and see if they feel right for you before you commit to an appointment. You&#8217;ll have a better first session if you go into it feeling comfortable and confident that you&#8217;re making the right choice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why Seeing a Therapist Is Worthwhile Maybe you\u2019ve always thought people only go to therapy if there\u2019s something wrong with them \u2013 it\u2019s like admitting you\u2019re a failure or a nut. But actually, therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. Even if you don\u2019t have any type of mental illness (and it\u2019s also ok if you do!) it\u2019s useful to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,35],"tags":[30,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-11150","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-senior-health-fitness","8":"tag-caregiving-2","9":"tag-senior-health"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Seeing a Therapist Is Worthwhile - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you&#039;ve always been skeptical about the value of therapy, it&#039;s time to reconsider. 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